Complications Arise
by Wowzas
Summary: Sirius Black has given up on relationships. Katherine Wright has never even bothered. James Potter can only hope he doesn't mess things up. Lily Evans is as wary as ever. Full Summary inside. SiriusOC, JPLE.
1. Mancrushes and Nasty Breakups

Full Summary: Relationships are complicated. That's what Sirius Black concludes after his latest break up anyways. Katherine Wright just thinks they're a fancy way to manipulate someone, so she hasn't really bothered with them either. Of course, she could be considered a hypocrite with her messy love life, if you could call it that. James Potter likes to think he's a guru in the relationship field, but he's scared shitless when he actually manages to somehow woo the girl he's dreamed of. Lily Evans struggles with the constant trust issues she has, and wonders how the hell she ended up dating an arrogant prick anyways. Love, a word that is hesitant to be thrown around these four individuals. While everyone else seems to have this whole romance thing down, how come they can't get it quite right?

Pairings: **SiriusOC, JPLE, OCOC, and AberforthGoat (Not really, but that couple needs more fandom)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Which includes that Daniel Radcliffe guy with the ugly teeth.**

* * *

"Wright, what was with that piss poor effort out there?" Huffing slightly, the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team Captain pointed across the field as I headed towards the Girls' Changing room.

"Eat shit, Kirk." Just as I was about to fling the door open to the Changing Room and make my dramatic exit, Henry Kirk had to ruin it by yanking my hair back to him. I let out a loud, painful yelp as he forced me to turn towards him.

"I said," His stupid, pretty-boy eyes slightly twitched "What was with that piss poor effort, Katherine?"

My eyes fluttered to the back of my head in irritation. Apparently, that wasn't the right answer since Henry tugged my hair again, harder this time.

"Merlin! There are nicer ways to ask!" My hand tore his own hand off my hair as I tried to stare him down. Of course, whenever I try to stare someone down…

"Ha ha!" Nervous giggles teetered out of me as I looked away.

There was just something about staring people in the eye that I just could not handle.

"Aha ha ha, aren't you adorable?" He flashed me a fake grin and then quickly reverted to his angry stare.

I decided it was best to look down and bask in my anger rather than chortle like a twit.

"Your performance out there," A dramatic pause came since conceited gits like Kirk loved the _tenor_ in their voice "Was absolute shit. It's our last practice before the first game and instead of chasing the damn Quaffle, you're just floating about over the field with your 'La di dum diddle sum'. If I wanted an idiot on the field, I would have gotten Abbott with his butter fingers."

And I was supposed to believe that Derek Abbott was actually Henry's best friend.

Some friend all right.

"For your information," Roots of hair on my head pulsed from the attempted tearing "I was trying the hardest I could but some glory hog who stalks James Potter's shadow wouldn't pass the bloody ball!" Pretty-boy eyes bulged at me.

I didn't care at all though since, believe me, I was open the whole entire practice.

It was a low blow, I realize, but I wasn't the one who tried to tear his hair off his scalp.

"Me? Stalk Potter? Rubbish. Utter Rubbish." That _of course _won the argument. What can beat a simple 'rubbish'?

"Oh, so the way you ruffle your hair identically to his is purely coincidental. And how about whenever he says _anything_, you find it extremely hilarious and guffaw like a horse. 'Say, Kirk, your Quidditch team is composed of a bunch of pansies.' He would say and you would go: 'Hur hur hur hur aw Jimmy that's a good one!"

A scoff came from Henry, but his eyes slightly averted. The bugger was guilty of stalking him, I was sure of it.

"Or perhaps," I continued "he would talk to you in Potions saying 'Dear chap, do you by any chance have a spare piece of parchment?' to which your response would follow 'Ah hur hur hur, you're so brilliant, Jim Jim, I wish I was as funny as you, hur hur hur!" Flabbergasted, Kirk's mouth moved like he was eating air or maybe in this case, my words.

"Yeah, sure, Potter and I have shared some laughs," Another dramatic pause, this time his hand going to his hair "But I hardly know the man."

And yet he ruffled his hair, like the little fan boy he was.

"By laughs you mean that one time in Third Year. I can just see it now. James Potter acknowledging your existence for the first time, your heart morphing into thousands of butterflies. He tells you a knock-knock joke, and you listen with all of your heart's desire. As soon as the blissful moment has passed, you run to your dorm room, bust open your diary and begin to describe how his eyebrows arched beautifully at Lily Evans in a suggestive manner that morning…"

"Like I said, you're just adorable." Henry droned but the corners of his mouth twitched, trying not to smile at my being ridiculous.

"…And you will start to go in detail about his hair, how its raven locks taunt you from behind…"

"Yes, of course, because his hair has that 'Drives Me Wild' scent to it."

"Raspberry strawberry, you learned from sneaking into his dormitory bathroom late at night, is his favorite soap…"

"And aftershave too, don't forget that."

"No, no, his aftershave is the manly aroma of cedar bark. And so to be fully one with him, you dumped his cedar bark aftershave all over your naked body as you lathered, rinse, and repeated his shampoo twenty-seven times."

I'm sure the grin on my face was as wicked as Henry's guffaw.

"And you call yourself a woman with a weird mind like that?" Again, his hand ran through his sandy hair, failing to master the James Potter look.

"Ah hur hur," I mocked his laugh "I'm only speaking the truth. I know that you constantly talk to Derek and Alden about how you wish Potter would notice you and get over Lily Evans. That whole you having a girlfriend thing? Total cover up."

A snort of laughter blew from his nostrils onto my face.

What a lovely set of nostrils they were.

"Oh, you're a riot, Wright, but don't sidetrack away from the topic of your shitty playing…"

"I'm sure this is how you sound when you whine to Derek: 'Oh Derek! Why does Jamie notice me! I said hi to him that other day but he just walked past me! But then, after that he said he liked my broom! What kind of game is he playing at? Such a _tease_ with his beautiful'—what color of eyes does Potter have again?"

"Hazel." Without a thought, Henry said this. I raised my eyebrows.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just good at remembering things. Like the fact that you liked Amos Diggory when we were wee tots." This only made me scoff.

Who even bothers remembering trivial things like that?

Henry Kirk did, apparently.

"Well, anyways… 'With his beautiful hazel eyes that I get lost into. The way his numerous cowlicks stick up drives me mad with desire! And when it comes down to that bum of his!—Hey, I'm doing an impression of you, it wouldn't hurt if you would listen and…"

Henry didn't listen however.

He was too busy looking at the ground, his body turned partially away from me. He only did that whenever Alden or I messed around with him in public. It didn't make sense though because…

"What's this about my bum?" A voice laced with arrogance came from behind me.

I fought a grimace as I looked over my shoulder, dreading the outcome.

Strolling towards us without a single care, James Potter mockingly grinned at us. Along his side was none other than Sirius Black, who shared the same smirk but said nothing. They were both donning Quidditch gear, probably planning to sneak on the Quidditch field after hours.

Normally I would be upset to learn they were sneaking in more practice hours than our team, but the fact they felt they _had _to sneak in extra hours for our scrimmage match was flattering in a way.

"Just discussing our plays for the upcoming scrimmage." Even if James Potter was the subject of our conversation, it really wasn't any of his business.

I mean if you just so happen to hear someone mocking you, just mind your own business and go along your merry way. Yes, I'm joking there but with James Potter, I'm somewhat serious.

"That involves my bum? You know now that I think about it, Quidditch is a great way to get away with sexual harassment. You can see my bum from all sorts of angle up in the air. Is that always why you ride on my tail, Wright? "

Goodness, it was probably one of the few times I was ever admittedly obnoxious at Hogwarts and of course, James Potter had to overhear me.

A few chuckles came from his best friend, who I noticed had quite the nice Cleansweep broom. Knowing his family's background, it wouldn't surprise me if it was the newest model.

He, however, must have gotten the notion that I was staring at him instead of his broom and questioningly raised his eyebrows.

I blew a big, fat raspberry at him as I told James Potter he smelt of dungbombs and dragon bogies, making the two of them go as red as two first years. Then I turned and kneed Kirk in the groin just because his face aggravated me. I would then become Hufflepuff's new Quidditch captain and would lead our team to their first victory in fourteen years. A scout from some horrid U.S. team would spot me and make me their star chaser. I would then bring that team also to victory for the next five years. After that, I would settle down with a beautiful Italian, male model from the International Wizard Modeling Agency. Our two children would be named Katherine One and Katherine Two, their middle names being Wright.

…

I actually just looked away from him before I busted out into nervous tittering.

Unable to help myself, I also looked at Potter's broom and noticed it was the same exact model as Black's.

Oh, matching brooms, how adorable.

Part of me wondered if they engraved each other's initials on the handles.

"Well?" Oh yeah, they were talking to me.

Correction, I mean _mocking_ me. Well, it was just Potter really because Black wasn't much of a talker.

I mean he _did_ talk a lot but, not as much as Potter. Instead, he would leave most of the glory of badgering to Potter, adding his tidbits here and there.

"I," Feeling confident, I looked Potter straight in the eye "…Need to pee."

Surprised snorts of laughter came from both of them, Kirk adding his chortles in the mixture.

"Charming, isn't she, Padfoot?" Black cracked a grin at me as he nodded in agreement. Even though my face burned with embarrassment, I kept my head leveled with theirs.

The whole thing about urinating was for the purpose of shock factor.

But, I really did need to pee.

"Well," Potter shot Henry and me an amused look "If you're done talking about my bum and your bladder, Padfoot and I have some serious business to attend to. That is, unless you want to stay and tell me how my bum looks from ground level." Cue condescending smirk here.

Kirk bellowed out into bits of laughter that were a little too eager while Black just looked bored.

See, at least my statement about peeing made him laugh or blow snorts of laughter, whatever.

Same difference.

"He got you there, Wright." More enthusiastic chuckles came from Henry as he looked at me like I was some incomprehensive bint.

"Ah hur hur," I returned the look "Potter's never going to give you the time of day, so stop flipping your hair around him. Last time I checked, he was more into man-hating redheads. So, respect his one-sided love and step off. Only time can heal wounds to the soul." Another round of surprised laughter came from Potter and Black as I turned towards the Girls' Changing room.

Kirk tried to laugh along but his smile was too awkward to be genuine. The look on his face was priceless. It was a mixture of trying to hide embarrassment and a creeping blush while trying to appreciate the blow of the insult.

I bit my lip as I tried to keep my face straight but when I flung that door open to the changing room, I let out a tirade of nervous giggles.

Even though Potter and his Crusader friends—whatever he calls them—might have glorious moments like that every day, I only had them about once a year.

In other words, it was a great start off to the school year.

* * *

_**Sirius**_

Man-hating redheads, hm.

Simple, but to the point.

I found myself liking it more and more as it ran through my head.

Prongs, on the other hand, was a little amused by it but also felt bothered since lately, it seemed that even insane Hufflepuffs knew how Lily Evans was persistent in rejecting him in every way possible.

"You call yourself a Beater, Padfoot? Snivellus could send those Bludgers farther just by batting them with his nose." I only clicked my tongue as I shook my beating stick at Prongs.

"You're the Head Boy now, Prongsie. You can't insult studious, respectable _well-liked_ men like Snivellus without the stake of losing your _glorious _reputation." Laughs only came from Prongs in return as he zoomed around on his broom, making huge loops.

"I suppose you're right, my dear Padfoot, but it's just so—Bludger coming," The bat made a cracking noise as I sent the Bludger in the opposite direction

"It's just so hard when it comes to Snape. The fact that he's a Prefect doesn't help either. Lily insists we hold a meeting every week with the Prefects, so that means I have to see him more than I'd like to. The way his beady little eyes follow Lily's every movement, it's disgusting."

He was now hanging upside down on his broom, his arms stretched outward.

"Aren't those two neighbors or something?" Swerving a little to the right, Prongs tried to fly while hanging upside down.

"Where did you hear that?" His broom continued to sway as he tried to retain his balance.

"Marlene was telling me about they knew each other since they were four or five years old. I think they were childhood friends, but I can't recall exactly." Now Prongs was upright again, sitting sideways on the broom.

He tried to hide his eagerness, but I knew him better than that.

"Did Marlene tell you anything else?" Even I would have to admit that the way Prongs fidgeted when he talked about Evans was adorable.

How come Evans couldn't see that?

Then again jinxing every boy that showed interest in her wasn't too adorable, but some women like jealous men.

"Well," I couldn't help but sigh when it came to the subject of Marlene.

"She told me that recently, so most likely not. She usually turns any conversation into one of those 'talks'."

Prongs smirked at me as he repositioned himself on the broom, sitting the correct way.

"I could ask something as simple as 'Are we going to Hogsmeade together this weekend?' and then she goes off at me. 'Why wouldn't we go together? Are you hoping that I'll break it off with you so you can go with Julia Finnegan?' And so on. Then she'll start an hour-long—minimum, sometimes she takes the talk into my free period—discussion about how we should serve each other as a couple and work on co-dependence."

Jolly laughter came from Prongs as he swerved around the Quidditch hoops.

"Can I ask something?" Permission granted or not, Prongs would ask anyways. Both young women and men loved that confident quality about him.

Except Evans, but there's the fact that she might not even be human.

No, instead, she was more like a fire-breathing, PMSing dragon.

"Where did Marlene get that whole scheme about you and Julia Finnegan?"Good question.

I really had no idea.

"I can't say that I know, Prongs, except that maybe Mary MacDonald's boyfriend, that Kirk bloke, probably filled her head with all sorts of nasty tidbits about me." That mad Hufflepuff girl came to mind again

"You mean that fellow who was with that Wright girl?" Prongs smirked a little and I found myself grinning too.

"Yeah, that git. He has a pretty good sized grudge against me. Probably because I'm so close to you, my lovely Prongs." A scoff came from him as he swerved beside me.

"That was probably the highlight of my day. It is a little disturbing though, to think that even—Bludger," Another crack whipped throughout the field "Men are interested in me."

"As much as I like to hear your modest pondering, Kirk did deny it and tried to laugh it off." Kirk was a two-faced prat, that was granted, but I was unlike him.

I did not spread false rumors…unless if it was to my own benefit.

While Kirk was just a gossip dying to start trouble, so he liked to spout off nonsense to his girlfriend, Mary MacDonald, who would then repeat the nonsense to another girl. That girl would then tell three or four of her closest companions.

And so on.

What exactly did Kirk gain from telling, apparently, both the Gryffindor house _and_ the Ravenclaw house that I was only interested in a relationship if I could—to quote the concerned, young man—"Have a variety of flavors on the side."

_Variety of flavors on the side?_

What was my love life to this bloke anyway?

Some sort of erotica novel?

Consider me now as Count Ronaldo Regisina from _The Broom Maker's Daughter's Most Forbidden Desire's Mistake in the Quest for Passionate Renewing Love._

"Oh, but his face was as red as Avery's oily, pimpled face. From how horrid it looks, you would think a pixy gnaws at his face continuously, Avery that is. Anyhow, do you reckon Hufflepuff has a chance at putting up a fair match?" This I had to consider for a moment.

"Well, if your speculating has any truth to it, then Kirk will follow his heart and let us win." We laughed at the absurdity of it, or I thought it was absurd anyways.

Even though he was my best mate, I could not help but admit that Prongs had the tendency to blow things out of proportion.

"Seriously though," The Bludger flew straight towards me this time. "I think it will be a reasonable game."

With another crack, the Bludger flew in the direction of Scorekeeper's tower.

"Kirk and Wright make a considerable pair of Chasers. That Alden Oates fellow makes a fair Keeper too. As for their Seeker, Diggory, he's okay but I think our own Meadowes has him beat in that category." Prongs nodded in agreement as we fell into a comfortable silence.

"So, how it's going with Evans? You two off to a good…" I didn't have time to finish my sentence however.

_CRASHFWUNKFERSHCLUNK._

"Shit."

Was all Prongs could say as we watched the Bludger bounce about in the Scorekeeper's tower.

"You think McGonagall heard that?" Unsure on whether or not to move, I swayed slightly on my broom.

"What do you think, Padfoot?" Prongs called back over his shoulder as he whizzed towards the field.

I was thinking that maybe if we were going to practice after hours, we shouldn't bring out the Bludgers.

The whole Crashing-Into-Windows-And-Buildings thing.

Not the greatest idea for after dark.

* * *

"You mean to tell me that instead of meeting me in the Common Room, you went to play Quidditch with James?" Eyebrows furrowed up at me.

I tried to look away from the angry stare as I reached across the table for a second helping of pancakes.

I also tried to ignore the pointed looks from Marlene's social group as well.

Prongs was nowhere to be found, which was unusual since he loved the new seating arrangement that came along with me dating Marlene.

Lily Evans was good enough friends with her, so she sat her tight arse down with us, but she never had much to say.

As a matter of fact, she was sitting across from me, just nibbling on a piece of toast as she shot me filthy looks.

Kirk was there too, with his haughty attitude. His arm was slung around a quiet Mary, who just stared down at her plate. From what I've gathered, Mary wasn't a fan of confrontations so she often kept quiet during times like these.

"Ahem." An expectant look came from Marlene.

"Well," The eyebrows lightened a little as if they were wary. "Yes."

I really had no idea what to say besides that one, irksome word.

Kirk gave a disbelieving snort while Evans increased her glare tenfold.

I fought the urge to hex the both of them.

Mustering up the most adorable smile I could, I turned towards Marlene.

Her eyebrows furrowed again, this time a little harder.

"Sirius Black, you said and I quote 'If you want to talk, then I'll talk to you after dinner in the Common Room.' Guess who waited for nearly three hours in the Common Room?"

Not only did she address me by my full name, she started drumming her fingers.

Even though I was in deep shit as it was, part of me felt really irritated and I just couldn't help it.

Since when did you have to have a roll call with your bloody girlfriend?

"Well, I don't remember signing a contract on it, love." A little screeching noise came here and there as I dragged my knife across my plate.

Moony and Wormtail had better come soon or I was going to be torn to pieces by the Lily Evans Man Hating Interrogative Team.

I had to thank that Hufflepuff lady for the inspiration of that name.

"Well when two people date, they shouldn't have to make fucking contracts!" Ouch, profanity.

It seemed I was sinking farther and farther into that deep, stinking, pile of shit.

"Yeah, really Black. From what Mary's told me, poor Marlene was pacing in your Common Room until eleven. You had to have made somewhat of a serious promise if she stayed patient that long." Oh look at Kirk and his words of justice.

Reprimanding big bad Sirius Black just so his girlfriend could fawn over of how much of a good little nancyboy he was.

"I'll take your input into consideration, Kirk but I'll have to remind you that a relationship consists of two people. I'm pretty positive that I'm not dating you. How can I kindly phrase this," I feigned a look of tenderness "Mind your own bloody business."

Turns out that Kirk didn't find my grin adorable either.

"Can you be even remotely serious? All you do is mock everyone around you." Marlene's soprano voice rung from my side.

Have I ever mentioned that especially high voices grated on my nerves?

"Well maybe I wouldn't feel the need to mock everyone around me, if everyone around me didn't spout such idiotic things!"My fork jabbed at my pancakes vigorously.

Silence came from Marlene in return, which didn't bother me in the least. Her constant nagging was beginning to make me cringe.

"Listen here, Black, you should…" I would never know what I should have done because Kirk was promptly cut off.

"Oi, Kirk! Look it here! See what Kitty's grandmum sent her!" Two Hufflepuffs appeared on each side of Kirk, one of them being that Wright girl. The other was that Alden Oates fellow, I believe, but I wasn't so sure.

"Do you two ever get the hint that you're irritating?" Rolling his eyes, Kirk shot his girlfriend an annoyed look. He was trying to arouse some sympathy but Mary just looked down at her plate.

If you ask me, Henry Kirk was the fattest hypocrite in school. Well, besides Professor Slughorn, but Kirk made a fair match against him.

"Not really. Well, with you. It's not like we give a damn about your touchy feelings anyways. Anyhow, look at this." Alden shoved a muggle-looking a magazine onto Kirk while shooting everyone a toothy grin.

"Top of the morning, guv'." He nodded towards everyone while mumbles of 'Morning's and 'Stuff it' came in response.

Only a small sniff came from Marlene.

Part of me hoped to God that she wouldn't make a scene first thing in the morning.

I hadn't even had the chance to finish my pumpkin juice, for Merlin's sake.

"What the bloody hell is this?" This demanding cry came from Kirk as he lifted the muggle magazine towards his face. A portrait of a handsome enough muggle man was on the cover with headlines such as: _WHO'S YOUR SOULMATE,_ _DREAM DATE SCENARIO, _or _TRUE STORY: MY BOYFRIEND, THE AXE MURDERER?_

"So Alden and I were having a nice breakfast, brunch—whatever you want to call it—when this lovely magazine landed onto my waffles, hence the syrup stains," With a disgusted face, Kirk shook his hand free of the goopy mess,

"Anyways," The Wright girl continued, a smug smile hanging on the corner of her mouth "We found this soul mate quiz."

"Page Seventy-Three, to be precise." Alden leaned over Kirk's shoulder as he flipped the pages a few times. Frowning at whatever was written on it, Kirk attempted to shut the magazine but the Wright girl put her hand on it to stop him.

"You seemed a little," Wright paused as she glanced at me "…_unsure_ about your feelings for Potter, so Aldie and I thought this little quiz would help you."

"… 'Does he stop by your locker everyday just to see you?' … What in the name of Merlin is a _locker_?"

Trying his best to look bored, Kirk dismissed the magazine but embarrassment tinged his cheeks. Wright only laughed as she continued to the point out other obnoxious questions in the magazine, grinning up at me once or twice.

My mouth pulled into its own smile, but only for a short period of time because I remembered I was in a—as Marlene would put it—_a codependent discussion._

Whatever that meant.

"I'm sorry that I constantly spout idiotic things." Marlene's murmur was higher than her usual voice, her sniffs growing louder.

A sudden urge to bang my head against the table hit me.

"I didn't mean you, love," I tried to reason but she was already getting up.

"Marlene, listen to me, Marlene!" I called after her as she pulled her body away from the table.

"It's only been three weeks since we've started school, and I haven't had much time to practice. I just needed," My legs twisted as I tried to scramble out of the table. "...Oh fuck it."

Marlene was already out the door and my pancakes were about to get cold.

Do I go after the hormonal girlfriend who will only throw even wilder accusations at me or do I enjoy the most important meal of the day?

...

I'd take my chances with breakfast.

* * *

_**Lily**_

Stupid Black with his stupid, insensitive mouth.

Stupid Potter with probably influencing said stupid mouth.

Stupid Third Year that ogling at me as my friend, Marlene, wailed on my shoulder for the umpteenth time that week.

"D-d-d-did you see how h-h-h-he br-brushed me off-ff-fff!" Blubbers came from the wailing creature on my shoulder. Hey, now don't go judging that I'm some horrible friend. I really do care for Marlene since she's a sweet, wonderful, and fun person. I just didn't care too much for her constant worries about whether or not Sirius Black was cheating on her with his broomstick. From the start, I didn't like the two of them dating since Black had all these rumors circulating around him. Whether or not if they were true, I didn't care. I just cared about how Marlene was a cautious person to begin with, so when you put a paranoid person with a confident, questionable person like Black, human hankies were going to be the needed.

I was the current human hankerchief.

"If you cry Marlene, sweetie, you'll just give into his childish ways. Show him that his idiocy doesn't bother you! Do you want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he affects you this much?" Actually, I think he already knew that and was indifferent about it, but as the human hanky, it was my job to stir anger and determination.

You know, to stop that whole wailing and crying thing.

"But his stupidity does b-b-b-bother me!" She looked up at me, mascara smearing down her cheeks which reminded me of a sad, sad raccoon.

Even with raccoon eyes, she still was a very pretty girl. Part of me wondered on whether or not if I cried my eyes out if I could have looked so composed.

"Yeah, it bothers pretty much anyone he encounters but you can't let him know that! It will only aggravate him and encourage that stubbornness of his that you always tell me about." She just clutched onto me harder and proceeded to wipe her face all over my shirt.

Ah, who cares about not-so-cheap uniform blouses anyways?

There were always stain removing charms.

"We u-u-u-u-sed to get along s-s-o w-well!" More choking sobs and a few sniffs. I added a few pats in the mix while the Third Year added a few nosy looks. I fought the urge to hex that stupid little curious face of his since a Head Girl really shouldn't do just ghastly things.

"But you guys still would get along just fine if you stopped focusing on...on..." Oh great, it was a _perfect _time to draw a blank.

"On what?" Sniffles came in response.

"Uh...everything? You know, maybe you two should take a break from..."

"_AHHHUUUUAAAHHHHHHAHHH_"

...

I didn't even know humans could make sounds like that. If dating a good looking guy like Sirius Black made a mess like my dear friend Marlene, I wanted no part of it. The sobs from Marlene this time were heavier and faster, nearly on the brink of hyperventilating.

"It's not like you two don't like each other! It's just you guys are having...misunderstandings...yes, misunderstandings." This whole comforting business? I wouldn't think of getting a muggle degree in it.

"Like w-w-what?" Oh, bugger.

Where was Alice with those smothering hugs of hers? Surely they would be better than my awkward pats and shushes.

"Well, there is a lot left unsaid between the two of you and either you guys should talk it out or just take a break…"

"But we've talked about it many times! He just won't listen, Lily! It's like he just wants me to shut up. You know me! I'm not the usual nagging girlfriend but he turned me into one with his nonstop flirting!" She kind of had a point there.

But I wouldn't go so far to call "Hey Jane, can I borrow a quill?" flirting.

"Then maybe taking a break would be best. You two had great times last year, it's nearly been a year. But since we're having N.E.W.T.s this year, maybe a relationship that involves such high levels of stress isn't a good idea." It was useless to even say anything at this point. Marlene just crumpled up against me and wailed as I scowled at the Third Year that was still watching us.

I suppose it was best to sit this whole thing out until a concerned Mary or Alice comes running to us, saying just the right things to cheer Marlene up.

"Oi, Lily! There you are!" Or until an arrogant berk named James Potter strolled by and _somehow_ managed to make things worse. Part of me wondered how he knew where I was all the time but the other part was too afraid to ask, since it was Potter we're talking about.

"Oh goody, here comes the sunshine parade." Marlene looked up again as I said this and took one good look at Potter.

"James, do y-you think Sirius and I s-should break up?" Oh _Merlin_, she had to ask _Potter_ of all people. Like my word was suddenly deemed useless and Potter's meant to the world to her. Glad to know how much my opinion was valued.

"Well," He paused, causing my breath to hitch. "He kind of needs to focus on Quidditch. It is our final year, you know. Not that you're a total distraction or anything." Only such wise words come from such an arse.

"That's just me though," Oh, don't forget the great conclusion he ends with. "Now Lily, we need to discuss on how we're going to do our rounds with the Prefects before classes start."

"_I_ do that during Lunch, Potter._ You _just repeat everything I say in a 'professional' voice" I couldn't help but let out a sigh of frustration as Marlene continued to sob on my shoulder while Potter grinned at me. I'm guessing that he didn't see the wailing girl that was dating his best friend that was currently using my shoulder as a hanky.

Then again, I really wouldn't expect him to notice.

"And what a fine job you do at bossing those noble students around, Evans! I would help out too during lunch but you see, Sirius and I need to practice for the big game this Saturday. So, I figured why not move the meeting to this morning. It only takes like what, five to ten minutes? We have enough time." Patience was the key with Potter.

I must have lost that key.

"WHAT?" I exclaimed as Marlene suddenly ceased her sobbing. She looked up at me and then to Potter with a curious expression. It was almost as curious as the Third Year's nosy look…who was still watching us. I was standing now, my hands quivering slightly in anger.

"Don't worry, Lily, we'll get it taken care of." He even had the gall to rub my shoulder, as if that would actually comfort me.

"Oh, I won't worry, _James,_" I spat his name while he looked thoroughly pleased "No, not at all! Even though classes start in two bloody _minutes_ and hardly _anyone _is left in the Great Hall, we'll have a hell of a meeting! I'm so lucky to understand even _half _of the _brilliant _things you say." My nostrils had to be flaring by now. Bogies were sure to be flying out of my nose any moment.

"You look kind of sexy when you're being sarcastic, just putting it out there." What kind of response is that? Seriously, I just announced that we managed to mess things up after only being Heads for three weeks and he tells me that sarcasm turns him on?

"You're pretty much irresistible when you fuck us over, Potter." Well, if it sarcasms he wants, he can sure as hell have it.

"I could branch off into all sorts of conversations from that statement, Evans, but we need to round up Prefects before classes start." What bothered me the most about his grin that it wasn't even smug. It was like he honestly expected me to run around the entire campus of Hogwarts just so he could zoom around on a stick.

Really, could you blame me for hating him?

"Okay, sounds fantastic, Potter. You can help me at _Lunch_ or you can go play 'chase-my-tail' with Black. Your choice. I honestly don't need your insufferable assistance anyways, if you can call it that." Marlene now had stopped crying for the most part. Now she was pretty much staring with a somewhat disturbed face. Perhaps she was heading into Stage Two of accepting that Sirius Black was an insolent prick, that stage being furious rage.

"Since when do you and James talk so calmly?" Or she could just be completely engrossed in my personal life.

Whatever helps her get through the day, I'll say.

"It's amazing, right?" Potter winked at Marlene as he wrapped his arm around me as if we had been good ol' chums our whole entire lives.

"Get your filthy paws off me, you mongrel." Shrugging off his grip, I tried to look sympathetic towards Marlene. It was really hard to do so when you had arrogant, ignorant, and infuriating creature breathing on the back of your neck.

"Pretty amazing…" Oh, great. Now she had that dreamy look in her eyes as if Potter and I were newlyweds.

Psh, as if that would ever happen.

I'd rather marry Slughorn, have an affair with Dumbledore, and go through a nasty divorce where I only got to see the kids every other weekend.

"Marl," I tried again to look sympathetic as I drawled her nickname "Are you going to be okay?"

"Hmmm, I guess so…" Was what I got in return. Even though I knew she'd probably bawl her eyes out again tonight, I was determined to get going. I wasn't a person who could really relate to relationship problems. Usually my own relationship problems were so insignificant that even portraits had more drama than me.

Well, if you knew what the Fat Lady did to the portraits in the West Wing, you would be in an uproar too,

"I'm glad to see that you're okay, Marls! Listen, don't pay attention to anything Sirius said. It wasn't you, it was the relationship that tied him down. Really, love, it was for the best. It's great that you're taking it like a team player. Just think of how you sacrificed your relationship for our seventh championship in a row. _Perfect Record_. Doesn't that sound great?" Here's the part where Potter somehow managed to make things exceedingly worse.

"We…we didn't br-break u-u-up…" Oh, Merlin.

Oh, sweet Merlin.

Was I going to hate this year

* * *

_**Katherine**_

Really, sneaking out of a broom closet in the middle of the night was not the greatest idea. Especially when certain Prefects have certain grudges pertaining to certain scars that you may or may not have left on their left buttocks.

Buttocks, that's a really weird word.

Anyways, that Avery bloke had it out for me since Third Year when I accidentally hexed his pants off.

Literally. I really did hex those bad boys off. It even left a hole in his bum, but I swear it wasn't intended for him.

No, it was intended for Kirk, who just lazily waved his wand and countered it.

Bloody cocky smart pretty boys.

Cocky, hm, that's another funny word.

Oh, stop side-tracking, Brain, you're not making any sense whatsoever. The problem really needed to be analyzed right then and there: Avery was on Grounds duty tonight, meaning he has it out for Gryffindors and stupid Hufflepuffs like myself.

But I like to think myself of being somewhat witty.

Or charming, at least give me that.

One might think that sneaking out in Hogwarts really isn't so hard, but that one in particular hasn't tried running around the castle while trying to tie a tie and trying to put on outer robes. No, that person probably hasn't lived for much and probably only fantasizes about throwing himself a birthday bash in his House's broom closet only to discover not only does the whole female population of the school loves him, but he had a long lost twin that showed up specifically for the said birthday bash. Then they found twin girl soul mates only to confuse them for one or another constantly.

…

Where was I going with this?

Honestly, part of me never knows how to fully explain how my mind works because…I don't really know how it works.

I just know that I hate broom closets.

And Henry Kirk.

I also hate Remus Lupin because he has nicer hair than mine. Of course, I really couldn't hate him since he's a nice guy or something like that.

Then again, it all could be a façade and he could be planning all of our demises this very minute and…

"You told James that we broke up!" A shrill but somewhat pretty voice interrupted my thoughts. Oooh, forget my insanity.

An ugly, bloody break-up scene is way more entertaining.

"Oh, did I now? Obviously I wouldn't know what I said to my best mate since you're fucking omniscient and all." I wish I knew to use such developed vocabulary when I was angry. Instead, I would just scream something along the lines of: YOU BLOODY MOTHERFUCKING TOSSER, FUCK YOU TO HELL.

Can someone even, pardon my muggle French, "be fucked to hell"?

"Well, you aren't denying it, are you? You haven't even said anything to me all day!" Her foot started tapping now. Oh, Merlin, was he _ever_ going to get it.

"What are you talking about," He cried this and I could just see him throwing his arms in the air, doing Spirit fingers of some sort "I tried to talk to you like five fucking times but you just sniffed and turned away. What did you want me to do? Throw a fucking parade with banners reading: I FUCKED UP, MARLY, PLEASE TAKE IN MY POOR LITTLE OL' BUM?" Hah, he was kind of funny. Hell, if he was breaking up with me, I'd laugh at that anyways.

…

Maybe that was why my relationships never really lasted.

"You just said 'Hi, Marlene, can we talk?' and didn't wait! You have to wait for those type of things! You just can't expect me to forgive you right away because…"

"Because why? Because you like to make an issue over nothing? Because you like to worry about meaningless things? Because you are starved for attention even though I've clearly devoted much of my time to you? Or is it simply because you're convinced that you're the victim? If that's the reason, then let me _really _make you the victim." Oh, bloody hell! Was he going to punch her?

I had to see this.

Hoping to see some teeth flying and a bloody nose, I instead saw Sirius Black and—I'm guessing—his girlfriend glaring at each other.

"If that's how you feel, Sirius, then maybe we shouldn't be together." What? No! He didn't even get to spit at her yet and she was leaving? Talk about a pitiful break up,

"Sounds fine to me. Really, it was fun Marlene, but you're just too damn demanding. You need a guy who can tend to your every need."

_WHAP._

Tiny feet stomped off as I watched from behind the corner of the corridor. A huge pink, hand-shaped welt was growing on Black's left cheek as he looked down at the ground.

"_SHIT…!"_ He did that whole screaming under his breath thing, which sounds kind of demented from a bystander's point of view. Kicking the wall, he started to throw a little tantrum until he turned fully to where I was.

And then he saw me.

"What are you looking at?"

_Oh, what a day._

* * *

**Oh wow, I don't know how I feel about this fanfic, but it was amusing to write. Expect James's POV in the next chapter. Now I really have to pee. Review or whatever.**


	2. Padsyfootsie and Patrolling Corridors

_**James**_

"Oh Marlene..." I heard Lily coo as she rubbed Marlene McKinnon's back. Judging from the desperate gasps of air with each violent sob, it was pretty obvious that Padfoot dumped her.

Excuse me.

I mean they both broke up the good, old fashioned way. It was _obviously_ clean and clearly no hard feelings _whatsoever_.

The two girls were situated in front of the fireplace in the Common Room while I observed them with little interest from the back. I was really waiting for Lily to start talking about me since it was only inevitable.

Let's face it, patient reader, the woman loved to rave on about me.

Whether or not it was good raving, it was still raving.

But I hope Padfoot gave her a piece of our mind! Our mind being his and mine, since we have this deep understanding of one another or some rubbish like that.

Marlene just bothered the hell of out me, to be frank. Needy girlfriends weren't unheard of, especially with Padfoot's weakness for the opposite sex. The man was a hopeless romantic who just wanted a simple girlfriend whom he could have all sorts of laughs with. He was just horrible at picking them.

Girlfriends, I mean.

It was no secret that Padfoot was a little handsome devil. All of us Marauders had that quality about us, except maybe for Wormtail.

As awkward looking as the chap was, he made up for it in personality, I assure you.

But the difference between Padfoot and I was that I knew that most of the little vixens that cooed at me only meant trouble while Padfoot felt that they all could have reasonable personalities and would always give into them.

Sure he would take my word on everything from quill tips to reasons why Snape was madly in love with Lily Evans, but the one thing he just wouldn't trust me on was women.

And that was probably the only thing he really needed to trust me on.

"He didn't even try to explain h-h-himself! He just e-e-exploded on me and s-said it was pr-probably better for us to," Another choking sob from Marlene "BREAK UP!"

"Merlin! Marls, some people are trying to study." As much as I adored Lily Evans, even I had to notice that her attempts at cheering certain people were often lacking effort. I'm sure the first time when Padfoot made Marlene wail, Lily was truly sympathetic but since this was the umpteenth time, her heart wasn't fully into it.

Wails ceased from Marlene, but she continued to look at Lily with her tearful eyes. She sniffed greatly—surely sucking in a few bogies during the process—and turned away from her. Guilt quickly surfaced onto Lily's face.

"Marlene, I-I'm sorry, that wasn't called for. I'm just tired, you see. Potter just left that load of work for me to do during Lunch since he was just too busy playing_**Quidditch**_**.**" Her red hair only glowed even more in front of that fireplace. The way her head was tilted, it only brought even more attention to her hair.

Oh, maybe it was because she was staring straight at me with the quite the snarl on her lips.

"I'm not stupid, Potter. You haven't flipped a single page since you started_reading_ forty minutes ago." Marlene glanced at the both us with unashamed curiosity.

"Sorry Evans, I just happen to be a slow reader." I flipped the page of whatever the bloody hell I was reading. To be honest, I just grabbed whatever was on the shelf next to me.

"Eavesdropping won't solve that issue." It was really cute how her nose crinkled when she got really pissed.

"Isn't that a little presumptuous to assume that I'm only hear to listen in on your rather boring conversation?" Even it was true; I had to save what little dignity as a man I had left.

"Me? _Presumptuous?_I wasn't even aware you could use words with more than five letters, Potter."

"Oh come off it, Evans. We both know that I'm no twit."

"Really? Because I was under a different impression."

"That's a shame, then. I thought you could truly see one's character."

"_One's character?_Do you realize half the things you say only prove that you're an incompetent arse? You throw these huge words around, expecting me to gasp in shock and fall madly in love with you…"

"Again Evans," She only glowered as I cut her off "That's a little conceited of you, isn't it?"

"He has a point, Lily." All tears were dried off of Marlene.

"Marlene…!" Obviously feeling betrayed, Lily looked at her friend in shock.

"I'm only kidding, I just think your reactions are priceless." A little giggle came from her as she smiled for the first time that night. Bemused, Lily stayed silent for a moment as Marlene wiped her face.

"Look Evans, we got her to smile!" She only continued to scowl at me. She really had to work on that whole frowning business.

"Marlene!" A concerned Alice emerged from the Common Room entrance, rushing over to Marlene's other side. "Mary told me that you were crying, she was trying to find Henry but we ran into each other instead. Speaking of which, have you two seen him?"

"Kirk? That one chap who bites my heels like a little puppy?" That guy was a bit odd, but he seemed to like me.

"I believe Alice was addressing Marlene and myself, not you, Potter." Again, here came that snooty little frown.

It was adorable, really.

"Oh, I thought I was in the conversation by now." Lily stood up to leave, as if her work was done.

"You always think you're included in every conversation," Lily turned towards Alice "No, we haven't seen him."

"That's a little vague, don't you think? Anyways, should we go patrol the corridors now? We're off to a late start." She held a wary look but slowly nodded, as if she was surprised that I was being serious.

Yes, I do have the capability of being serious, which many find hard to believe.

"I suppose that's my fault…" We both looked at Marlene as she sniffed violently while Alice rubbed her back affectionately. I wonder if Lily gave loving back rubs as well. Shivers ran up my spine as I imagined her giving me one.

Those seemingly delicate fingers that possessed a surprising amount of strength would be kneading my back. Our bodies moving in the same rhythm tension would begin to fade. Maybe a few grunts here and there…

_Focus, Prongs, focus._

If you let your mind stray, other _regions _will be awakened.

In other words, I wanted to avoid the awkward, socially degrading erection.

"Potter." Narrowed emerald eyes looked at me expectantly. Merlin, was she so bloody brilliant that she could read minds? It would explain the disgust the on her face.

"Yes, love?" There was a visible cringe at my term of endearment.

"Stop staring off into space and come patrol the bloody corridors with me."

_With her_, she says. Could you not blame me for grinning like some eager first year?

* * *

_**Katherine**_

"I'll repeat myself," Grey eyes coolly stared me down "What the hell are you looking at?"

Ouch. Ooh. _Man_.

Talk about a great opener for a conversation. I was awkward enough as it was and to have one of Hogwarts's newly eligible bachelors about to break any ego I had into a million little pieces was not a comforting thought. So I turned to my inner self, which I thought to be endearingly witty.

Or some nonsense like that.

"Are you too daft for words?" Now he just called me an idiot. That's just jolly good! Looks like I wouldn't be on his tea list for quite some time.

"I'm just," I couldn't help but pause, he was staring me at me like Snape would at a bottle of shampoo "I'm just admiring the way you handled things back there…?" Oh, I had to make it sound like a question.

Marks for total confidence, right there.

"Oh, are you now?" Shit, he was taking the offended tone. Half of me expected him to put his hand on his hip and snap his fingers, but I think only girls did that—besides Alden of course. Alden was capable of anything.

"Er, I mean I respect the way you didn't lose any dignity," An eyebrow rose at this "I mean before she left, anyways."

"Oh, well," Now he started to sound awkward as well "Thank you, I guess." His hands stuffed themselves in his pockets, as I started to do the awkward shuffle. This whole mingling business was clearly not our thing.

"You're welcome… I guess." He nodded at me, looking unsure of what to say. So I took a chance with my next question.

"So, how did things end up like that anyways?" Nerves jolted inside of me as his eyes narrowed in a defensive look.

"Things? You mean Marlene and me?" Bloody hell, what was I thinking prying into his break up that happened like five minutes ago? I barely know the bloke! He could be mad as Madam Pince and could very well pummel me into the ground in an act of full blown rage. Then Kirk could write a humiliating eulogy celebrating my death and then proceed to dance on my grave. Alden would then join in with a Charleston number as the rest of Hogwarts students mistake it for one huge party.

My death would nearly be a national holiday from all of this.

"Well," I paused again, this time for a more so dramatic effect "You two were the Golden Couple that inspired awe and envy all over Hogwarts. And now your girlfriend—excuse me, former girlfriend—is this raving lunatic—no offense—that stalks girls all over, demanding as to why they keep trying to steal her precious Siri-Poo-Poo-Blackey-Face." What the hell was I ranting about?

If anything, I was the mad one.

To my great surprise, Sirius just burst out into a fit of laughter, breaking some of the tension. A little bit of relief swelled inside me, and then my ego began to grow like a tumor.

I was James fucking Potter, bitches!

"Merlin, I'm glad I'm not the only one who can see that! Everyone else is like 'Black, you little prat! How dare you breathe on Marlene! Can't you see she's _sensitive_?' Oh, she's sensitive, all right." His index finger pointed at the swollen welt on his face.

"My word! It's a perfect imprint of her hand! No matter hard I try, every time I smack Kirk around, I only get a bruise at the most. Not a fucking hand print." We shared some more laughter.

Well, I was tittering like a nervous little bint really, but whatever.

The important thing was that I was having a somewhat normal conversation for once.

And I wasn't going to get mauled into the ground.

"I don't know how things got like that though. Last year, we were together but we had our own lives too, you know? But as soon as this year started, it's like we couldn't do anything separate. She just had to be _everywhere_." Was I supposed to put my arm around him, smack him on the back and then take him to Hogshead to get full out wasted? The whole 'Fuck women—both literally and figuratively' attitude was something I was used to, but I wasn't sure if I could pull it off, especially with my vagina and all.

"Well, I don't want to strike a nerve," Ouch, there goes my big mouth again "But…well, never mind."

"Well now you have to say it. 'Drives me up the wall when you women say that nonsense." He kind of had a crooked smirk, like he was too lazy to give a proper smile. I could see girls swooning about his imperfect grin in bathrooms all over school either way.

All in all, he was pretty swoon worthy.

But I don't swoon, that is, at least I don't think I do.

"What nonsense?" Though I kind of already had an idea by what he meant.

"'Oh I'll start something considerably offensive but I don't want to put my conscience at stake, so never mind, ho hum. I'll just be really vague and irritating instead. I'll be sure to sigh obnoxiously too.' That's the type of nonsense I'm talking about. Marlene did that passive aggressive shit all the time." Really, what was I supposed to make of him?

Part of me felt as though I had to be really cautious with my words while the other part felt as comfortable as one could be.

"Okay, well, in a relationship, it never is just one person's fault. So, I mean, you kind of had to have done something to spark that type of behavior." Another unreadable look came from him

"Little as it may be." I added quickly, to lighten the blow.

"That's the problem, I suppose. I don't feel like I did anything wrong." Ooh, I sensed a little bit of bullshit right there.

"Okay, I'll help you there a little bit. You're Sirius Black…"

"Really? I wasn't aware of that." Again, I was unsure of what to make of that statement. Was the sarcasm friendly or bitter?

"Yes, you're Sirius Black. _The _Sirius Black. The Blackster, The Black man. Blackjack? I like that one. Ooh, how about the Black Crusader? Then you could run around Hogwarts in a flowing cloak, acting as a vigilante…" Again, that idiotic mouth of mine.

…

I know I'm awkward, but I prefer to think of it as _charmingly _awkward.

Except for right now, since Sirius Black was looking at me like I was had just announced I was McGonagall's lesbian lover while being pregnant with Flitwick's child.

"Hah!" He started to laugh, but this time it was not so refined. No, instead, he was just guffawing away. I don't think I've ever seen him laugh like that.

It's not like I watch him constantly or anything, so maybe that's why. But still, something about him just seems…

"Fake."

"What?" His laughter was dying down now as he looked at me, seeming a little curious.

"You're kind of fake, you know that?"

* * *

_**Lily**_

My God, what was with him? James Potter seemed like a fairly predictable idiot, right? Then why I did I feel so much on the edge? Once we started patrolling, not a single word came from him.

And then there was that look on his face. It was something along the lines of being serious. Like his life depended on this task. I mean I'm not one to frown upon taking things seriously—especially since it was seventh year now and it was the right time to be serious.

It was just so bloody odd to see Potter without that goofy smirk on his face. Part of me forgot that I was patrolling with him since we were in complete silence.

_Complete Silence._

Since when is James Potter capable of being silent? I eyed him with great suspicion once more. Only this time he caught me. I was bearing myself for that stupid grin but he just looked at me if I were mad.

As if I was the psycho one that pursued him relentlessly since third year.

No, honestly, what a look he gave me! It wasn't really pleasant, and now that I think about it, I think I've seen him make that face at Snape. Oh I'm sure he has; like I noted before, it wasn't very nice. It was very…

Listen to me.

Listen to what I'm saying! Am I really analyzing a bloody expression that Potter, of all people, made? I could be analyzing any decent boy such as Amos Diggory or one of the Chang brothers.

Then again there is the fact that Diggory is only interested in certain types of conquests, and that the Chang brothers tend to stick to Ravenclaw and Slytherin houses when it comes to dating since they're a little snooty.

So I guess decency is out of the question but they are sure fun to look at. But then again, I don't have much time to look at other boys since a certain brute is always on my hide.

Speaking of hides, he was a considerable distance behind me. If he was trying to pull any of those wise tricks he had up his sleeves, I would be sure to hex him in oblivion.

And he better not have been staring at my_ hide_, to put it kindly.

Well, that's bloody fantastic.

Just as I get done with the overanalyzing, I move straight to paranoia.

Perhaps paranoia isn't the right term since I wasn't shuddering all over and eager to whip my wand out at everything in sight. No, it was just really uncomfortable knowing he could be watching my every move.

But with that look he gave me, he probably didn't give a damn about what was in front of him. I mean he looked at me as if I was some sort of creep! If anyone's the sick, deranged bastard, it's him!

Certainly not I, oh no, sir!

Again, I just couldn't take the tension my mind was fabricating out of nowhere and glanced behind me. This time he was looking straight at me! Aha! Who's the creepy stalker, now?

While I was expecting that inevitable smirk of his, I just got a sheepish smile. I couldn't do anything but blink stupidly.

Was he really turning shy on me all of a sudden?

I felt lost for words, so I just kept up the whole blinking like an idiot act.

"Is, uh, everything okay, Lily?" Oh, it was the nice boy act. He has tried this before, but never did I fall for it. Though, something still seemed off…

"Oh it's just peaches and cream, thank you very much." _Peaches and cream? _What was I, my grandmum?

"You sure? Because well," he looked away from and stopped for a moment "Well, you, uh, well…"

"Well, what?" It's rude to cut people off, yes, but I was losing patience.

"You keep looking at me like something's the matter. If it's about this morning, I know I can be a bit boorish about stuff…"

"Just a bit boorish?" I countered.

"Well I was a downright cad and I realize that now, but I acted like that out of haste because honestly, I don't know what I'm doing with this Head Boy business. I mean I have no clue why Dumbledore chose me and believe me, I'm beyond honored, but still, I really don't know what to do. But I didn't want to appear like that in front of everyone—especially not you—because…"

"Wait," I held my hand up to stop him "Especially not me? What do you mean by that? Believe me, James, I already knew that you didn't have a single bloody clue about what you were doing, so acting like you're the head man in charge without consulting me is just aggravating, not admirable. I prefer that we talk things out before we do anything." That came out softer than I meant it to. I wanted to be stern, not 'Oh poor Jamesie poo!'

"Kind of like what we're doing right now?" Anyone would expect him to arrogant saying that, but it was more so in a matter of fact fashion.

"Uh, yes, I suppose…" Both of us were silent for a moment, it was a bit unnerving.

"So, well, Lily, maybe if you aren't…"

"And then I said the only Hippogriff I know is your wife!" Outrageous laughter from this rather mediocre joke cut James off. For once, I was entirely grateful for Sirius Black.

"Oh? What's this?" Sirius finally noticed the two of us, but he wasn't alone. Then again, I don't think he'd go and tell jokes to himself while marching around corridors during the night.

"Ah! Padfoot! It's been ages since I saw your handsome face." And within a second, James morphed back into his arrogant, ignorant, usual self.

So much for the gentleman act.

Oh well, I kind of prefer him that way since it was uncomfortable with him being so serious.

To be honest, I didn't know how I felt about it.

"Oh don't tell me that Kirk has competition now." The girl next to Sirius spoke up. Apparently I wasn't in on the joke since both Potter and Black started laughing. Well, James was chuckling while Sirius was downright howling with great hoots.

I honestly didn't see what was so funny.

"Isn't she charming? I like her, even if she's a bit raving mad." With a wink, he nodded towards the brunette girl, who grinned mischievously.

Wait a moment.

This git here just broke up with his girlfriend—_my friend_—and he's already winking at other girls? It hasn't even been a bloody day! The very nerve!

"Excuse me," I stepped forward, since they all acted like I wasn't there to begin with "You two do know it's almost curfew?"

"Oh, yes, yes, we know, _we know_," Sirius waved his hand at me as if I was completely stupid "I was just walking Miss Wright here to her common room since it's the gentleman thing to do." I couldn't help but snort at this.

"Gentleman my arse, Black. You know who cried for a good hour on my shoulder tonight?" His face softened a little when I mentioned this but he only remained silent. He was still smiling, but it seemed a little forced.

"No, really, you can be bloody ridiculous. Just an hour ago, you broke up with your girlfriend of nearly a year and now you're already chatting up some other girl up," I turned towards the Wright girl "I wouldn't waste my time on him, he's like a child. A whiny, demanding, child that shits himself all over when he can't get his fucking way."

To my great surprise, she just started laughing as Sirius gave me a filthy look

"I don't think I've ever heard Lily Evans use profanity. That's just gold, pure gold. Only you could do that, chap." I felt myself go red at this. She gave Black a clap on the back and then glanced at Potter. He looked unsure of what to say.

"Of course, I'm sure you could probably make her scream Satanic curses, so don't feel too left out."

Now I really began to study this girl. She was just really…odd.

I don't know if odd even really covers it.

"But don't you worry, Lily Evans. Lily? Evans? I never know what to call people. I'd like to think you're rather nice. Perhaps we could be chums! Dear ol' chums! Then I could tell Kirk to sod off when he wants to practice because I'm too busy getting chummy with you." Was I supposed to smile at this? Or take it seriously? Black seemed to find it funny, since his dirty glare was wearing off a little.

"Lily's fine. I don't think I caught your first name." Well, she didn't seem drooling from the mouth over Black, so she didn't seem too bad.

"Katherine. Kind of bland, I know, but some people call me Kitty. Or Bitch, but only Kirk calls me that."

Now was I supposed to believe she was friends with Henry? Because she sure mouthed off about him a lot.

"Anyways," she continued before I could respond "It wasn't like Sirius here set up some forbidden rendezvous with me, I was just coming back from the Hufflepuff broom closet—yes, I sneaked in there because I was worried about Mimzy, my broom, and her boyfriend, Norman, which is Alden's broom—and I happened to stumble upon perhaps one of the best break up scenes I had ever encountered. Well, actually, it was the only one I had ever witnessed but it was pretty fantastic. Your friend, Marlene, slapped him so hard against the face it echoed. _Echoed!_" It was then I noted the welt on Black's face, and I couldn't help but smile a little.

Marlene told me that she hit him, but I didn't know she did it _that_ hard.

"So you were in a broom closet outside of practice hours?" Potter sure chose the most random time to speak up.

Wait, I'm pretty sure he just made a good point.

"Well, if it clears me of being a selfish homewrecker, then yes. I had to make sure Mimi was polished for the upcoming game."

"I thought her name was Mimzy."Now Potter took a suspicious tone while narrowing his eyes at Katherine.

"Oh, just another pet name for her." She laughed it off, but again, something was just still odd about the whole situation.

Or maybe, as Sirius mentioned previously, she was raving mad.

That sounded more probable.

"Well, I still reckon that's ten points from Hufflepuff." Again, Potter was just full of surprises tonight.

Actually taking points? Part of me was actually impressed since it wasn't Slytherin.

"What? That's utter rubbish. Just yesterday you were out with Sirius here. Remember? You caught Kirk in the middle of fantasizing about you." Snickers came from Sirius as James looked somewhat amused yet uncomfortable.

I mean Henry really did seem to take a liking to Potter…

But he was with Mary, who was just a brilliant and lovely girl.

She beat Potter in the romantic department anyways.

"Well, I suppose I could ten points from Gryffindor here since Padfoot was out with you." Taking points from our own house?

Dare I say it, I was actually impressed.

But only a little.

"Ah, such a shame. You caught me, mate," Raising his hands in mock defense, Sirius resumed his grin. It was like they were speaking code.

They couldn't have set this up, could they?

Then again, I wouldn't put it past James Potter.

"Well, I think Lily and I will resume patrolling. I suggest you two get moving before curfew." But then he was speaking in that serious tone.

It really confused me.

And I didn't know what to make of it.

* * *

_**Sirius**_

"And did you know what she said?" I looked at my best friend in mirror of our dorm. He didn't make an attempt to feign complete interest, but at least he was listening.

"That you had a nice bum too?" His remark was dry as he shifted on the poster bed, disturbing Wormtail's sleep in the process.

"Hah, that would have been a good laugh but she completely changed the mood by blurting out that I was fake. Fake! Of all things, she chose to say fake." Untying my tie, I looked at him once more only to see that he was gazing off into some land far, far away.

"Oi, Prongs."

No response.

"Prongs."

Nothing.

"Prongsie, my boy."

Not a word.

"Proooooooongs."

Was he deaf or something?

"Lily Evans is one fine…"

He was still staring off.

"…Pumpkin tart." I finished lamely.

…

"You think the drapes match the carpet?"

"'Dunno, do _your_ drapes match _your_ carpet?" Aha, a response, finally.

"Well, that's a good question. Wanna see for yourself?" Gesturing towards the family jewels, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"I'm good, but Moony might want a peek. Isn't that right, mate?" The figure on the bed next to Prongs shifted a little, but we knew he was faking.

"Mooooooooony," I drawled it out because it was simply his favorite thing ever "You were listening to my story, weren't you?"

"Katherine thinks you're fake; yes I heard." He mumbled this but, never the less; my dear Moony did not let me down.

Oh, he truly cared, yes he did.

"What do you think she meant by that?" Even though I pried her for information, she kept silent about her remark.

She instead focused the conversation on how my relationship with Marlene failed.

Something about how she was too sensitive and I was too insensitive. That a girl shouldn't have to be so bloody paranoid when dating someone, so I had to give Marlene some sort of cause.

Because, well, Marlene wasn't fucking mad last year. It wasn't like I took her virginity or anything big as that, so I couldn't see the emotional attachment.

I explained that to Kathy—I think that's her name—but she shook her finger at me and retorted that girls take that sort of thing seriously even if it wasn't their first time. Marlene and I, however, agreed that we wouldn't get emotionally tied to the physical aspects of our relationship.

Then again, I could have been nicer breaking up with her, but I didn't really mean to do it then.

I just sort of…

Blurted out what was on my mind then.

The thing is, however, I couldn't really see myself begging to get back with her either. To be honest, it felt like a relief as soon as she walked away.

Sure, she slapped the living hell out of me, but that aside, I felt like I could think for myself and only myself.

I tried explaining that to Katie, but she did the typical girl thing and laughed as if I were a complete twit.

She argued that maybe I wasn't really thinking about Marlene at all in relationship, or if I did, I didn't put her first.

So, now thinking back on it, maybe that Wright girl had a point.

Sure, Marlene and I had good times, but it wasn't like I _needed _to be with her. If I wasn't blubbering like a lovesick bloke, then had I really liked her?

"Oh," Moony's response snapped me away from my thoughts "I don't know. She's Henry Kirk's friend, right?"

"I honestly don't know what kind of relationship they have. I suppose they're some type of friends. But forget that prat, Kirk, and focus on what she said. How would I be bloody fake?" Maybe this came out harsher than I meant it to, but it kind of irked me.

"I said I didn't know, Sirius." His response was too fast for my liking. And even a little snarky.

A snarky Remus meant a little sassy Remus as well.

"You sound hesitant, mate. Go on, speak your mind. I won't cry like a pansy. And," I gestured towards the daydreaming Prongs "If I do, I have his shoulder to weep on."

"Well," he started, but then there a brief pause "Maybe it's because when James isn't around, you never know what to do with yourself?"

Merlin, I hated it when people ended comments as if they were questions.

"What? That's nonsense! I spent plenty time with Marlene when he wasn't around."

"I'm here, you know, just in case you two want to include me." Looks like Prongs snapped out of his nightly routine of drooling over Evans.

"Well, that's kind of my point. When James was too busy trying to woo Lily or in detention by his lonesome self, you would go run off to Marlene. I think she was trying to say that you're fake because you act as this independent man while you really can't stand to be alone." Light snores came from Wormtail as Moony shifted to face us.

Again, what he said was utter nonsense.

"Pfft," That was the infamous Black snort that all members of the Black family knew how to do. It nearly killed me to do it, but I was that much in disbelief.

"Are you saying that Padfoot has an attachment problem with me? Aww, Padsyfootsies has a deep, sensitive side." Always leave it to Prongs to tune into the conversation at the wrong moment.

"Yes, because when Prongsie isn't around, I cry myself to sleep and just can't take the pressures of being alone. Then I write into my wee little diary about how I wish Prongs was there to hold me." Chuckles came from Prongs as he sat upon his bed, scattering some of the Quidditch plays he had set out.

"Paddiefoot likes to write in his little diary about little ol' me and then takes his tea time with Snivellus, where they chortle and gossip about the latest Hogwarts heart throb." By now, we had Prongs's full attention.

"Well, saying that this was true—which it isn't—I still don't see how it would make me _fake_." At this, Moony sat up a bit and looked at me with a thoughtful expression.

"Then, I can't really give an explanation. Maybe it's because you're our best friend that we can't see it. Katherine Wright doesn't really know you since she's from a different house. She may just be under a wrong impression that's all."

"I thought her name was Kathy. I'm pretty sure they call her Kathy." Moony gave me a doubtful look and laid his head back down.

"Whatever you say, mate." And with this, he shifted away from Prongs and me as he began his deep slumber.

Since you know, werewolves don't just simply _sleep_; they have to hibernate or something.

"You sound a little too overworked about what this girl said, Padfoot." At least Prongs was still there to listen to my deep woes.

"Have you ever been called something that's mildly insulting when it wasn't supposed to be? Because it doesn't feel bloody good, I'll tell you that." To my surprise, Prongs gave me quite the pointed look.

"I happen to have taken a liking to one of the most stubborn yet gorgeous girls in school. She tends to insult me every time we have a discussion, even if she didn't intend to do so." Ah, he made quite the point.

But, still.

"Well," Merlin, he was already giving me the defensive look before I could even really start "It's not like you have to fancy her. There are plenty of other gorgeous girls. Sure, Lily's charming and quite a sight to behold, but …"

"But nothing, Padfoot!" Leave it to Prongs to get passionate at bedtime, where everyone else goes to sleep. Wormtail stirred a little in his sleep at his outburst, but drifted back into his dreams.

Hm, wonder what he dreams about.

He's bit of private chap sometimes, in that type of aspect anyways.

Like for instance, he'd rather spew unforgivable curses at McGonagall than tell any of us who he fancies.

Which makes me a little sad, since we're supposed to be best mates and all, but I can be one to respect a man's privacy.

"Nothing? Is that all you can counter with, Prongs? It's been four years; you have to give it a rest some time." What had been relaxed atmosphere started to tense a little.

Especially with that hard look he was giving me.

"You bloody know well that I've tried," a huge exhale of breath came from him

"Oh how, _oh how_, I've fucking tried! You know how she was talking to me tonight? Like I was a bloody first year that didn't know anything. Saying rubbish about how we need to be more codependent with each other and that I didn't need to try to cover up the fact that I don't know what I'm doing, because she already fucking knew." One of his socks flew in the air as he began to kick the other one off. He sounded dejected, of course, but the way he carried about it was pretty casual.

This was one of the many reasons why I held great respect for my best friend.

He played things off for the sake of other people.

So, in turn, I had to show my respect.

"At least she isn't giving you the cold shoulder like she did for a good part of a fifth year." Would he take the bait?

I sure bloody hoped so.

"Yeah," his voice was quiet but something about it carried a hint of hope "And she's single now and has been ever since she had that nasty row with Thompson last May. It wouldn't make sense to give up right now anyways."

"There you go, Prongsie boy! Right now is the best time!" I tried to sound exuberant, but his doubtful face told me otherwise.

"Is it really? Weren't you just telling me to give her up?" Cue the suspicious eyebrow.

Goddamn that wary eyebrow.

Damn it all to hell.

"If you want to start a new love, there are plenty of single lassies on the field. Like that Wright girl, I'm pretty sure she's single." Apparently my offer wasn't taken seriously as Prongs snorted a bit.

"You're awfully hung up on that girl. I've never seen you so taken with a woman." Teasing wasn't something new to Prongs, but I really wasn't in the mood for it after a horrid break up.

"Oh, Merlin, no. She's a little too barmy for me to even consider shagging her, but she's a riot, wouldn't you agree? You little them a kooky anyways, since Evans is obviously mad with her man-hating ways." Aha! I was able to procure a smile from him!

Now for a laugh, or even a giggle.

I'd be satisfied with a giggle.

Or a chuckle, guffaw, chortle, snicker, snigger, cackle, hoot.

…

You get the idea.

"I think I'll stick to Lily for now, since as you know, dear Padfoot, patience is a virtue." Oh, a virtue it was indeed.

"You sure? I'm sure I hit it off well enough with Wright to put a word in for you. Never could hurt to try someone new."

"Merlin, you do have a thing for her. That's all been coming from your mouth all night. Wright girl this, Wright girl that. Padsyfootsie has a wee little crush already?" Alright, this conversation was going around in circles.

"If you say so, then I must." Usually when I say something that isn't argumentative, Prongs get bored and drops it.

"Are you going to plan your outfit for Hogsmeade and hope with all your might that she'll ask you out to Puddifoot's? Oh, I know! We could do each other's hair and giggle at whatever she says so she'll get the hint."

"Goodnight, Prongs." Challenging as it was to climb onto the top bunk above a lively James Potter, I managed to do so and pulled back the comforter.

"Can I catch the bouquet at your wedding? That is, if Wright proposes."

"Hilarious, mate, you really are quite the funny little rascal." Maybe if I hid my head under the pillow, he'd stop.

I heard ostriches did something like that.

"Padsyfootsie and Mr. Wright, the perfect pair! Merlin, I love it!" If he was this excited at this time of night, he would never get to sleep.

Bloody hell.

"_Goodnight Prongs._" Would forcefulness do that trick?

Silence pursued for the next moment.

Apparently, it did the tri…

"_Padsyfootsie likes to write deep, dark and sensitive poems about his feelings and then shares them with Moony behind my back. I just know it._" This was a very rushed, loud whisper.

In other words, it was very obnoxious.

"Sod off, will you?" Maybe a little vulgarness…

"Padsyfootsie, would you name your first child with after me, Moony, or Wormtail?"

Looked like I wouldn't be sleeping that evening.

* * *

**Well, that's the second chapter. I hope I did okay. Oh, to you, like, two readers who are reading this, I was thinking of doing either fast updates with not as much quantity or biweekly updates with a lot more scenes. Feedback about preferences would be great, or you could just roll your eyes and go websurfing. Happy New Years! It's sad I had this published all the way back in April, but I suffer from a terminal illness called lazyassistious. Look at that! Aren't I the clever one, hur hur? … I think I'll just shut up and go eat now. …Review, pretty please? Or not, I'm not a forceful one.**


	3. Slimy Slytherins and Black Markets

_**Lily**_

"As you know," Slughorn looked up at us, pointing his wand to his cauldron "NEWT leveled Potions only gets increasingly harder at this point. As challenging as it might have been last year, it will be far more difficult this year." He looked around the class for what I suppose some sort of reaction.

"Professor," all eyes in the room went to James, who was attempting to look serious "Rumor has it that you can produce quite the Felix Felicis. A Hufflepuff told me that you gave a vial away for their class last year. Ever consider doing the same for our class?" Even thought I felt he was being a bit haughty asking this, no one else seemed to really mind.

In fact, there were a few murmurs of agreement from our side of the classroom while the Slytherins paid no particular attention.

Except for Severus, he kept glancing at James with a somewhat incredulous look before settling his eyes on mine.

All sorts of curses rang through my mind as I broke the gaze immediately, feeling my face slightly flush. It was uncomfortable knowing he was still staring at the back of my head.

"How observant you are, Mr. Potter and a very good question you ask. I'm afraid I didn't get around to brewing that during the summer, and even if I did, it wouldn't be ready so early into the year. Now enough of idle chit chat, open your books to the numbers provided on the board." The idle chit chat, however, increased as Slughorn stepped away from the front of the classroom and started to do his rounds around the classroom, starting with the Slytherins first.

"Moony," Oh great, James was already making his way towards his best friend and more importantly, _my partner_.

It wasn't like I disliked Remus—he was very pleasant to talk to—but I felt like he let his best friends step all over him and rage havoc while he kindly chose to be blind.

Or it seemed that way, at least.

"Were you able to do your rounds last night? I know your furry little problem has held you back a little this week and I was wondering if maybe you wanted me to take them on for you."He better had just volunteered himself only.

Because I was not doing two sets of rounds tonight.

"Thanks mate, I appreciate it, but I can manage. Padfoot told me during breakfast that Mulciber planned practice for his team tonight even though the schedule states otherwise. Are you still planning to practice?" Wariness was evident in Remus's tone while James just held a mischievous smirk.

"My theory is that even if they wanted to," he lowered his voice considerably low, noticing Severus eavesdropping "They wouldn't be able to tonight. I just have this peculiar feeling they won't feel up to doing anything by lunchtime."

I couldn't help but scoff, which attracted Jame's attention. It was as if he was waiting for me to say something.

Oh, the bloody git was planning to get some sort of reaction of me.

"Problem, Lily?" His smile, as charming as any girl would have found it, was a little too innocent for my liking.

"None whatsoever," Breezy as my reply was, he didn't relent but instead, pushed further.

"Funny, because I'm pretty sure I just heard a little snort coming from that cute little nose of yours."

In the past, he would have attempted to poke the tip of my nose but he surprisingly kept his composure.

"Oh, that? I tend to breath oddly sometimes with it being allergy season and all." I took a big sniff for demonstration, even though I could breathe perfectly well.

From the look on Potter's face, I was sure he felt I could breathe perfectly fine as well.

"Is that so? Should I escort you to Poppy's for a quick check up?" Hah, _Poppy_ he called Madam Pomfrey, how absurd. Images of him swirled about with him strolling into the Hospital Wing with a fat, black eye, blood pouring from the ears, telling 'dear Poppy' to do her magic.

I snorted at the thought, which I immediately regretted as it only encouraged James.

"There you go again, with that sniffing of yours. You sound awfully stuffed up, love." As soon as I was about to retort, loud chopping sounds drifted to our side of the classroom. Both of us looked towards a Severus staring furiously at his ingredients, his hands moving swiftly but precisely.

Suddenly, I felt awkward and looked away from the both of them and tried to focus on making the assigned draught.

Dread welled up inside of me as I recalled Potions last year, where James and Severus would torment each other constantly.

Whether it was snide remarks about greasy hair or actual hexing, something would always go down

It was a bit sad, really, since I think everyone in class would look forward to that rather than paying attention to the lesson.

Memories of Severus wearing a girl's uniform and Potter sporting two black eyes resurfaced, and a chuckle unwillingly escaped me.

Oh, bollocks.

Quickly, I raised my hand to mouth to play it off as some sort of cough, which doesn't really make any sense—looking back on it—but James heard it, unfortunately.

He was grinning like some maniac who escaped Azkaban by murdering everyone in a destructive rampage.

Well, others may say that he was grinning like some adorable little boy who managed to sucker his Mum into buying not one Sugar Quill, but two!

I prefer the raging maniac description but I guess either could do.

"Allergies." That was the only excuse I could, again, offer; an offer that James made a face at. I really expected him to start running his fingers through his hair while trying to don the perfect smug expression.

Since that's what he normally did anyways.

"Oh, is that," he took a big sniff "so?"

"Yes, it really is." Anything to shut him up, _dear God._

"That's a..." _Sniff "_Shame, really. I tend to," _Sniiiff _"Get the sniffles as well."

"Is that so?" My eyes rolled themselves into the back of my sockets. What was that loon getting at anyways?

"It's really distracting," _SNIFF SNIFF _"Sometimes I wonder if it sounds like I'm laughing instead."

"Are you mocking me, Potter?" A sheepish smile was all I got in response, which I raised an eyebrow at.

"No." _Sniff._ That one was barely audible, never the less, was still a sniffle.

"I don't even want to know how many bogeys you've swallowed by snorting that much." My reply surprised the both of us. Normally, I'd be beyond irritated by now, but he wasn't being too obnoxious. Sure it was annoying with him thinking he was so clever, but I'd prefer that over him hexing everything in sight.

"Good point," he turned towards Remus, who was cutting the ingredients steadily "You want to see how bogeys I've swallowed, mate?" Part of me dreaded him hacking up spit of any sort, but he merely just offered.

"No, thank you." Continuing to chop at a steady pace, Remus barely gave a reaction.

"You know, I think I remember reading bogeys as part of the ingredients."

"Isn't Sirius missing you?"

We both spoke at the same time.

"Oh, Padfoot?" Over his shoulder, I looked at a tired Sirius who seemed very much so out of it. It seemed like he didn't even notice that his partner was missing. Instead, he was slowly carrying out all of the tasks the potion making required.

"He looks awful lonely." Maybe he would get the hint.

"Well," His lips met my ear, and I jumped slightly "Just between you and me, he felt very torn up about the break up with Marlene. The rim of his glasses brushed against my cheek as he adjusted them.

My face began to heat up—unwillingly, mind you.

Just as about I was going to tell Potter to keep his huge mouth away from me; he pulled away quickly and flashed me a smile. It was really odd since it wasn't like those idiotic smirks he gets when he and Black trip a first year. No, it was a little…_genuine?_

…

I could really upset my stomach sometimes.

My mouth opened to protest, but Remus coughed loudly as he gave James a look. Really, it was one of those looks that my mum would give me when I would tell Petunia her boyfriend was a fat arse who has no reason to be conceited as he was.

"Looks like you got some allergies too, Moony." His tone was joking, but I sensed Potter was trying to communicate something else.

"Yes, quite a terrible cough…" Musing for only a brief moment, Remus went back to pouring ingredients into the cauldron.

"Anyways," Oh great, the focus was back on me "He's been a wreck, really. Just a huge, utter…"

"Hurgh hurgh." Was that supposed to be a cough? Again, we both looked at Remus, who now smiling to himself like some mad man.

"You really ought to clear that cough, mate." They both held their gaze at each other, and I was unsure of whether they were or joking or not.

"Wouldn't say a word, Padfoot—I mean Sirius—not a single word." Was I supposed to be dabbing at my eyes with a hanky as I cried tears of remorse for Black?

"Oh, not a _single _word. Definitely not, hurgh hurgh." Now James just glanced at Remus with this bewildered half-opened grin while the corner of Remus's mouth lifted slowly.

"He's just a saint, that lad." Holding both hands to his heart, Potter moved his head dramatically towards Sirius, who still looked rather bored.

"Oh, a saint, a saint indeed." When Remus began to nod his head enthusiastically, I finally began to catch on.

Sirius Black really couldn't give a rat's arse if Marlene cried for days or started dating the very next minute.

I felt somewhat angry, to say the least.

"Why, Dumbledore offered him the Head Boy position, and you what he said?" Both Remus and I remained quiet, so James went on "He said 'Now Alby, my boy, you give that to my best friend James Potter, the one with the bad eyesight, because he needs some straightening out. It'll make a man out of him and scare him shitless at the same time. Think of the opportunities! Why, sure, Lily Evans hates him, but she could use some toughening up…"

"I don't hate you." Did I really just say that? My God! Was this my conscience catching up after all these years?

"…Pardon?" His tone changed completely, and I swear his voice cracked a bit. Almost immediately, his hand went to his hair.

"Well, you're not my favorite person," Okay, I had to word this _carefully_ "But, it's not like I want you dead. Really, I wouldn't wish that upon anyone."

Complete silence was at our table for a good moment as James's face grew considerably red.

"I…er, well…I uh," his eyes averted to the ground as he tried for some more words "…That's good to know."

Fuck.

Now I felt all self-conscious.

"Well, everyone makes it out to be that I want you dead or something and it's…"

"You know what, Evans?" Abruptly, he cut me off, which caused me to tilt my head, since honestly; I didn't know what to say.

"Sometimes you make me feel like some little school girl. Really, you have to watch what you say; especially when it'll be running around in my head all day." Before I could try to redeem myself and correct his train of thought, he walked back to his table.

And then, he avoided looking at my direction.

Correction: He avoided looking _anywhere near _my direction.

Did he fall off a broomstick over the summer or something?

* * *

_**Sirius**_

By the time lunch had come, I was convinced Prongs was going mad. He had mentioned planning some sort of prank against the Slytherins—Mulciber and his bunch, to be precise—to Lily Evans.

Even though Lily wouldn't have given a damn if he followed through with this or not, he acted as if this was crucial.

But then, by the next class, he somehow forgot about the said prank and continued to banter with Evans all throughout Transfiguration. So, I took that as there was no prank.

However, as we left class together, he quickly murmured that I should take my free period to come up with the prank on my own before prancing off with the oh-so loveable and amazing Lily Evans.

Well, it wasn't like she was extremely exhilarated about talking with him, but she seemed to tolerate him a lot more than last year.

Oh, I'm sure she uses the whole Head Boy and Head Girl thing as the reason why she 'puts up with him', as some would put it, but there seems to be more to it than that.

Prongs decided on a whim to continue Ancient Runes since he learned that Evans planned to do so, Moony also had shown actual interest in the class while Wormtail felt compelled to continue his studies in Care of Magical Creatures.

So, here I had a whole period to plan the demise of some idiotic sods, but no one to share it with.

Apparently, I was the only one who saw the good of having two free periods since it was seventh year and stress wasn't going to ruin it.

Still, it could be so _lonely _sitting in the Common Room with your ex girlfriend glaring daggers in your back.

Did I mention she had this period free too?

Along with her dear chum Mary MacDonald and her _lovely _boyfriend, Henry Kirk.

And the three of them like to sit in the Gryffindor Common Room and glare at my back.

Well, until Today, I would usually join them and bring life to the stiff group.

But that was all in the past, as of last night, it was all in the past.

"What about Derek Abbott? He's a good friend of mine and his girlfriend also _harshly_ dumped him," Kirk's voice got significantly louder and I felt many eyes in the room go to me. Where was that Wright girl when she was needed? I'm sure she'd be distracting enough so I could make an amazing but mysterious escape.

"I mean he wasn't that much of boyfriend anyways, Marley," _Marley? _Since when the hell was she _Marley_? And when the bloody hell would Kirk learn to mind his own fucking business?

The bloke had it out for me, I just knew it.

"He was never around, instead it was like you were dating Mary and me and he was dating James Potter!" A rather harsh sounding laugh sounded in the room while Marlene and Mary remained silent.

Yeah, turns out no one liked the poor sod's jokes.

No surprise there.

I mean I had better jokes.

Like what do you get when you cross a hippogriff with a troll…

"Maybe Marlene," now his voice got quieter, but it was still that obnoxious whispering "He was, er, seeing someone else…? Would you put it past him? Because I wouldn't." A stifled sob came from

Marlene while Mary light hit Kirk against the head.

"Quit it, will you?" Maybe it was wrong to think this, but I wanted to kiss dear Mary on the spot just for hitting him.

And to piss Kirk off, but that would only be a plus.

"She's only crying since she knows it true, Mary." Some logical reasoning that was. It was a _genuine _surprise that he wasn't in Ravenclaw.

"Well even if it bloody is," Ooh, she shot him quite the look there; I was considering proposing on the spot "I don't think Marlene wants to hear it right now, _Henry_."

Aw, he was starting to get a pout on his face, how adorable.

"Mary," Oh Merlin, just when I thought he was going to shut his bloody mouth, he continued "I'm sorry, I really am. I just get frustrated, you know?"

"About what?" Now it was Marlene's turn to speak up. My eyes strained as I squinted really hard against the Parchment I was scrawling prank ideas upon.

Were they really about to start a huge session about how much they hated the huge, pompous, and promiscuous Sirius Black?

Because, as anyone knows, I obviously can't keep my hands to myself since I apparently have this horrible track record. If the rumors are correct, then it appears that I have been seeking satisfaction in second years since my respectable ex girlfriend wouldn't pleasure me in any way.

Bloody hell.

When did things get so out of hand anyways?

Was it when I dated that mouthy Ravenclaw in fifth year? Because she was an honest mistake. She lasted about a month or so, and then I noticed that some of my knickers were missing.

Yes, it's a bit presumptuous to assume that she took them, but when I came across them while hiking up her skirt, it was bit…off putting.

Ever since, I've been surrounded by these curious rumors that I just can't keep anything in my pants and that I've enjoyed breaking every heart I had come across, even though I could count the number of girlfriends I've had on my hands.

Sure, I have to use both, but it not's like I go around to pursuing conquests that I can go off about in pubs when I'm some lonely forty year old man who only has his position in the Ministry of Magic going for him.

"I just find it aggravating that he has the gall to keep showing up here even though you two aren't together."

"Fucking prat."

Oh, did that come out loud? My bad.

"Black, you have something to say?" There was some smugness in his voice, but he carried a serious expression.

"I just want to point out two things," Bitter silence hit me in return, but I went on "One, it hasn't even been a fucking day since we broke up…"

"Since you dumped her." Apparently, being correct was an obsession with Kirk.

"Fine, if you insist, since I 'dumped' her," Both of the girls shot me dirty looks but I continued anyways "And, two, you're not even in this house, you're a Hufflepuff, so I'm just saying hypocrisy isn't too attractive."

"Neither is cheating, Black." Why was he so bloody smug? He hadn't said anything particularly clever.

"Since I am at a loss of words at your wit," I point my wand at my makeshift work station and began to clean it up "I think I'll go find a first year to shag, since as everyone knows, I'm this unbelievable bastard."

"Even if the stuff Henry's saying isn't true, it doesn't change the fact that you're a git." Rage came from Marlene now, something I wasn't really expecting.

No, I always pegged her as one those girls who munches on chocolate frogs as she blasts sad love songs all night long.

"I think you already established that." My finger pointed to my cheek, which was still a bit swollen.

"You're bloody right I did! You…you…" She began to fumble for words.

"Inconsiderate pansy? You lot haven't thrown that one at me yet." Tucking the parchment with the plans for today's prank into the pocket of my robes, I started to make my exit.

"It's just like you pull a coward move, Black." Kirk threw this at me as I neared the Portrait Hole.

"Oh, really?" I couldn't help but counter as I started to step out "Because I'm pretty sure I'm not the one who needs his girlfriend to hold wee little ol' hand whenever he says big bad things, ooh, I'm cowering in fear." My fingers did an odd wiggling thing for effect.

I don't know why, but it seemed entirely appropriate at the time.

Before Marlene could sob about how Sirius Jr. was on the way—Merlin forbid if that was actually true—or Kirk could burst into tears on Mary's shoulder, I was out of the common room.

Maybe it's a weak move to walk out like that, but I was also being chivalrous by giving the three women their space, so anyone could still say I had Gryffindor attributes.

Though, I felt really pissed for a few minutes.

I really was just badgered out of my common room by some arrogant little berk.

Maybe I should include him in the prank as well.

I paused in a corridor.

Just where the hell was I headed anyways?

I glanced about my surroundings and realized that it could lead to the library easily.

Hm, it was nice and quiet there, and no idiotic Hufflepuffs that stab voody dolls—or whatever the hell they're called—that look like me.

As soon as I reached the library, I ran into Madam Pince, who downright glared at me. I tried to muster up the most charming smile that I could, but honestly, she was too frightening that I must have been twitching at the mouth instead. She only firmly placed her finger against her lips and made this deranged hissing sound.

I suppose she was shushing me, but I hadn't even uttered a single word.

What a sensitive prude.

Quickly, I made my way to the back of library, hoping to find an empty table or stool or _something_.

Instead, I found an extremely intriguing conversation.

"So Abbott's girlfriend is on the market now?" I knew that voice; it usually said pretty amusing things.

Interested, I went started to browse a bookshelf behind the source of the said voice.

"Yeah, she got tired of his obsessing over Quidditch and him running off with Henry all the sodding time." This voice was deeper, and I recognized it to be that Oates fellow who liked to cause all sorts of chaos with his loony behavior. Although his results could be admirable, he was way too off his rocker for my liking.

"Funny, because we are just as tired of Kirk running after Potter's heels and high fiving Derek whenever Potter breathes on him, but we haven't dumped him yet." Snorts of laughter came from Oates while I found myself smiling as well.

"We could learn a thing or two from her. Reckon she's looking for a new beau?" Slowly, I moved down the aisle of the bookshelf, getting a glimpse of their outlines.

"How the bloody hell should I know?" I could see that she had her legs crossed, sporting mustard yellow stockings, but that was all the space in the bookshelf could give me.

Mustard yellow? Really? Wasn't that a little bit bold for a Hufflepuff?

Then again, she was probably just sporting house spirit.

"You're a girl, you should know these things."

"Just because I have a vagina doesn't mean I speak to other vaginas."

"You're so darling when you're chauvinistic, really, I just love it." He paused for moment, and then went on "Do you think she's on the _Black Market_?"

"You mean she's selling her body organs? And illegal stuff like, those rare dragon hides? Forget her vagina, hook me up!" A large shush came out of nowhere, and they both lowered their voices.

"No," his outline shifted a little "I was trying to be clever, but apparently only you and Henry can do that. I meant maybe she has her eyes set on Black." Merlin how much more slandering could my name take?

"Every girl creams her knickers over him. Big deal." My word, should I have blushed or taken that as a compliment?

"Not every girl, especially with Diggory flexing his nonexistent pecs and, well, you know, there's always me with my…"

"Everyone just knows you as 'that one bloke who is Henry Kirk's friend'." She cut in with a teasing tone.

"Oh, really now? Then what are you? 'The crazy bitch that latches herself to his leg'?" His tone was similar to hers, which made me confused.

Could friends really be so mean to each other?

"Because I latch myself to his leg, you caught me. You know, before Mary MacDonald, he couldn't leave a room without me."

"Oh, of course, I'm quite sure about that." Sarcasm dripped from every word, and then a brief silence overcame them.

"I really liked that Black Market pun, I thought it was funny." It was then I realized I was purposefully eavesdropping, and then I found myself a bit creepy.

"Oh, yes, it was brilliant. You're too hard on yourself; you have wit, just not enough for Ravenclaw." Kathy's reassurance sounded half serious, and then that's when I decided to come into view.

I mean they were having a grand laugh and they seemed pretty fun.

It was better than moping around behind a bookshelf like Snivellus would.

"Oh hell," was what I got when Wright noticed me. Immediately, she took on a paranoid look.

"Hello?" Honestly, how else do you respond to something like 'Oh hell'?

"Did you hear us?" Really, how rude, not even a greeting back.

"Something about you creaming your knickers over me? No, absolutely not." Oh, it was so horrible of me to be such a prick, but it was just too much fun seeing her get flustered.

"Oh, good then, now you won't know about my undying lust for your friend Pettigrew." Random distracting comments like that showed me her way of coping with things.

"I'm telling you, he has a wonderful personality." Cue smile that Prongs tells me is simply adorable.

Actually, he just says to stop staring at him with that creepy grin and no, he will not go on the date I set him up with.

Not even if she has big knockers, which is a bit of a waste, really.

"Wait, you weren't joking when you said you hung out with Sirius Black?" The Oates fellow interceded, looking at the two of us with suspicion.

"Merlin," she flicked her quill, splattering ink on the table "No one believes anything I say, not even a word! Do I seem that pathetic that I would go about and make up an imaginary friend that looks like Black here?"

"Do you want me to answer that honestly? Because I just want to say yes to piss you off, but lying isn't good for the soul." Now it seemed like I was invisible to them once more. Should have I taken a seat?

Why, any opportunity to make new friends was a good opportunity, especially if it saved me from looking awkward.

So I took a seat and began to watch, but honestly, it was like a show.

"Neither is wanking, I hear." She threw that without a missing a single beat and I got a good chortle out of that.

"Fuck, not in front of company, Kitty. You only saw that once." Yanking at his collar, Oates looked down at the table. It was hard to discern if he was truly bashful or just milking it for attention.

"Once as in 'once a week'? Because I'll have you know it was way more than that. Anyways," her eyes flickered to mine, and I was alarmed by how warm they seemed "What brings you here, my kind Lord?"

"Well," Her eyes were still focused on mine, making my gaze steady as well "After being exiled from my own common room, I thought that the library would be a good place to find peace and quiet."

"Instead, you found us." Teeth flashed at me as her mouth formed into a crooked smirk. The corner of my own mouth twitched into a similar grin. Curious, I looked down at her mustard colored stockings once more. They seemed pretty cozy, I must admit.

"Believe me. Your company is a lot better than the previous one. Your team captain, Kirk, was gossiping his arse off and doing an awful lot of badmouthing." Both of them looked at each other and then back to me.

Their expressions told me that they weren't surprised.

"He's jealous that he can't be the Black Crusader?" This made me grin again as I recalled last night's conversation. Where the bloody hell had this nut been? She was _so _entertaining.

"It's one of his favorite pastimes, gossiping and badmouthing. He wouldn't be the Kirk we loved and hated if he didn't do that." Oates added his bit and looked at us curiously again.

"Oh, you naughty girl." Both Wright and I looked at him, as he sported a devilish smile. He began to wag his finger in her face while she sat there, confused.

"Pardon?" Her eyes set into a cool gaze as she crossed her arms.

Ah, the defensive stance.

"You little rascal." He pinched her nose, to which she promptly kicked his shin. Other than wincing a bit, he showed no reaction.

"Bugger off." Like that would make any man stop. Part of me tried to ignore at what he was insinuating, while the other part wanted to watch.

"You think I don't know when you have the claws out, wanting to…"

"Anyways," she cut in harshly, sending a dirty look towards Oates "Rumor has it that Slytherin wants to practice tonight. I thought it was Gryffindor's night?"

"Ah, right! Thank you for reminding me. You see," I pulled the parchment the ideas for pranks from my inner pocket "James and I are planning to make sure that they won't, well, mess up the practice schedule."

"With a piece of parchment?" She looked at me warily.

Clearly, this one was a doubter.

"Not just any piece of parchment!"With that, I handed it to her, shoving away thoughts about how unwise it was to share pranks.

Oates and I stared at her as she read, her expression changing each minute.

One moment, she looked insane with delight while the next, she frowned. My fingers drummed against the table impatiently, but only for moment, as Madam Pince hissed from somewhere deep in the library: "Watch those knuckles, boy!"

"How does she do that?" Oates looked behind his shoulder, bewildered.

"Carefully, I suppose." Now he wagged his finger at me, grinning all the while.

"Ah, aren't you a clever one, Black." Shrugging, I went back to observing Kathy.

Or was it Kate?

Oates just called her Kitty, but I'd feel weird calling her that.

"Well?" I asked after a good few minutes, to which she held a finger up.

Hah, I, the Black Crusader, could not be silenced so easily.

Merlin, did I really just call myself that?

"It's not a bloody novel. You have the gist of it by now." After a moment, she relented and looked back at me.

"Aren't these a bit too involved to do yourself?" Well, I suppose the one idea where we cast jinxes left and right to Mulciber's team would take longer with just myself, but I had Prongs to rely on.

"Well, I'm going to let James in on the details."

"But by the time you two see each other, lunch will have started and it'd be sloppy." Her argument rang true but I felt peeved nevertheless.

"Well, I can't just do it by myself;" they looked at me skeptically "James will be fine."

"What if we help?" An unsure feeling settled in my gut, since part of me wanted to go for it, while the other party, well, eh…

"Don't stress your little ol' hearts out. This is a 100 percent certified Mauraders prank."

"We can be decoys. We're dee-lightful and coy." Coy? Oh, yes, that fit the bill just right.

"Very coy. You won't hear a single peep from us" Oates couldn't hit but pipe up, with this alarming glint in his eye. He seemed very eager to help, in other words.

"Why are you two so keen on helping? Just curious." They both stared off for a moment before speaking.

"Because we're loyal to our Quidditch schedules. Hufflepuffs ought to stay true to everything."

"Because Mulciber shoves his fat arse into my face every Quidditch match."

Curious looks went around, my expression most likely incredulous.

"Loyalty? Hah, when's the last time you've seen anyone loyal around here?" Oates's tone was light, but something lied beneath it. I couldn't exactly place what it was though.

"Kirk likes to frolic around with Abbott with their beautiful male bonding, or whatever. That's loyal." Kate? Kathy? Whatever her name was smiled at Oates, but it seemed a little aggressive.

"Oh, good point! He also likes to ditch us to chase after Mary's ankle length skirt!" He seemed a bit catty, no?

"My fellow peers," It was hard to intervene, but we were losing focus on what was important "Let's not squabble."

"We don't squabble. We never squabble. Right, Alden?" She only got a curt nod in reply, but I pressed on anyways.

Taking the parchment from her hands, I unfolded it onto the table.

"Now the jinxes I had in mind were…"

* * *

"Padfoot, what will the show be today?"

"Here, read this, it has your part."

"Part? Bloody hell, this isn't a play."

"I don't even want to know what you guys are planning."

"Go be a wet blanket somewhere else, Moony."

"Did you guys go to the kitchens? Do you know what's for lunch?"

"Merlin, Wormtail, do we look like fucking house elves to you?"

"Sorry, I'm just really hungry…"

"I still see you have the nerve to sit here, Black." All four of us looked up to see Kirk and company.

The company being Mary, Alice, Lily and my lovely, somewhat psychotic ex.

"Oh, good timing," Brushing off his statement made him scrunch up his nose "'You seen your two friends yet?"

"Friends?" Don't tell me that he also thought that no one wanted to be his chum.

"Are you still pretending not to know us, Henwy?" Oates snaked his arm around Kirk's neck, ruffling his hair in an awkward manner, while the Wright girl stood aside, grinning ear to ear.

"Get off me you oaf," Only a snarl that lovely could come from Kirk.

"When do we start? When do we fucking start? This is the most fun I've had in ages." Her eagerness was somewhat uncomforting, to be honest, but it was still appreciated.

"Potter," Lily's voice caught our attention, her eyes narrowed in slits "What's going on?"

"Why, I'm not sure, Evans," Oh, for heaven's sake, he needed to stop ruffling his hair and help with the bloody prank.

"Don't play stupid." I think it was Prongs's dream to be whipped into submission by this moody bint.

Okay, I liked Evans and all, but she was in the way for the moment.

"When do we start? Now? Or do we start now?"

"Henwy, why are you mean to us?"

"Because you do the stupidest things for attention."

"For God's sake, James, if you actually go through with any blasted prank..."

"Your hair looks nice today, Evans."

"How about now? Can we go? Can we?"

"I'm so hungry…"

"What about…_now_?"

"MERLIN'S FUCKING BEARD." Oh, did I just yell that out loud?

Everyone at the Gryffindor table looked at me, all conversation started to cease.

"…Is my favorite song." Great, now I just came off as barmy instead of intimidating.

"Can we go now? Please?" That Wright girl did not give up. I really wanted to strangle her then.

"Yes," my reply came out as a hiss "Go, just fucking go!"

She gave a slight cry of joy and took Oates's hand, who was caught off guard, while Kirk clicked his tongue in disgust. Oh, he'll choke on that tongue once he sees that amazing prank we planned all period long in the library.

Quickly, I made my way to the Ravenclaw table and started to make small talk with sixth year girls while eavesdropping on everything that began to unfold.

Hopefully they would keep true to their word when they said they could cause a scene.

"Well, hello there, fellow students of Hogwarts!"

"How goes it? Brooding as usual?"

Their voices rang behind me as I pulled a vial out of my pocket. I glanced at the label, to make sure it was the proper potion we snagged out of the supply closet.

Slughorn never did have much of a security system.

"Snape, do my eyes deceive me or are these rejects actually trying to talk to us?" Mulciber's deep voice drawled out while Snape gave a snort of laughter.

"It appears so, Mulciber." I could imagine his crooked nose scrunching in disgust. Even the smell of his oily hair made me want to jinx the living hell out of him.

And, yes, I could smell his hair from that far away.

"Ooh, those big bad Slytherins just called us rejects. Hold me, Kitty. Let me weep on your shoulder." Fake sobs came from Alden as the Kitty, Kate—whatever the fuck her name was—gave a fake gasp.

"Why you pompous gits! You went and made Aldie cry!" The girls around me looked behind in curiosity while I quickly uncorked the vial. Carefully, but swiftly, I slid the vial inside my palm and pretended to stretch. Wright and Oates, meanwhile, continued to talk nonsense with the brutes.

"Did you know I just happen to love Muggle television?"

"I just love Muggles in general! I wish I could adopt twenty Muggle children and keep them as pets while teaching them magic as well!"

Basically, they were doing the most exceptional job at pissing them off.

"Oh, man, does Quidditch put the crook in your neck or what?" Letting out an obnoxious, boisterous laugh, I moved my arms just in the right direction that the potion went flying out.

"Oi! What was that?" Avery barked out as I sensed the lot of them feeling themselves all over, clearly confused.

My mouth twitched a bit as I tried to bite back my laugh.

"You halfblood, you just conjured something onto us, didn't you?" Mulciber's tone went from condescending to raging. I glanced over at the Gryffindor table, meeting Prongs's gaze.

I gave a short nod and he made his move.

"Me? Do wordless magic? In my tiny little head? I'm an innocent, brainless Hufflepuff. What would I know about that?" Clearly pleased with herself, Wright started to make her leave but suddenly stopped.

I could tell by the shuffling that wands were drawn, but under the table and out of sight from the professors.

"Why else would you two come over here? You're brainless, I'll give you that." Now Mulciber sounded downright menacing.

"Well, with all games aside," her tone completely switched into something serious "I just wanted to inform you if any of you plan to practice tonight, then we'll go to the professors."

"How intimidating." That dry remark came from Avery, who seemed the most aggressive towards Wright.

"Just a simple warning." Her heel turned again while Oates, who was oddly silent, started to go with her.

"I'll show you a warning…" But before Mulciber could utter a syllable, Prongs showed up right on cue.

"Gentlemen—and lady," he added, giving a brief nod to Wright "Do we have a problem here?"

"We were just sorting out practice times, they got a little mixed up, you see." Oates broke the heavy silence, while I could sense Snape shifting. He never could resist hexing Prongs, that old slimy git.

"_Expelliarmus._" Trying my best to murmur this, I quickly aimed my wand behind me. A light _clunk_ sounded and Snape immediately dove under the table, which proved to be difficult with his gangly build.

"I see no harm in that. So what's with all the tension?" I could see the grin on my best mate's face, clearly glad of his new status as Head Boy.

Grunts of frustration came from Snape as he felt around under the table.

"We're not sure, we were just on our way," As of that, they quickly scattered back to where we previously seated at the Gryffindor table. I took that as my cue as well, and slowly rose.

"Well, ladies," They smiled at me as I nodded at them, waving a small goodbye.

"You may be Head Boy, but you're just another blood traitor to us, Potter…" And that was all I could hear as I headed towards the Gryffindor table. My faith in Prongs was so strong that I felt he could settle the "dispute" on his own.

"Chatting up girls not even a day after your break up?" Kirk's chiding was unleashed on me as soon as I took a seat next to KittyKateKathy.

"I had business to take care of." My reply was simple and probably not too believable, but it was true.

"Oh, I'm sure." Marlene's bitter comment was quiet, but it still made me want to smash her soufflé.

"Mulciber's voice reminds me of Kirk's mum." Although she said this thoughtfully, the grin on her face said otherwise.

"Oh, don't insult Mulciber too badly. He's just a little rough around the edges." Laughter came from the majority of the group, save for Kirk and Mary, while Oates looked quite accomplished.

"You two did your part well." They looked a bit surprised at my compliment, but took it well nevertheless.

"Kitty did most of the talking, really."

"Oh, it was nothing, really. We just talked like deranged idiots."

Despite them protesting against it, they really did seem humble in some ways.

_URRRRGUHUUUGHHH_

All of us looked at the Slytherin table, where Avery vomited all over himself. Wow, if he had gotten sick already, then it wouldn't be long…

_URGGHHHHHH_

Avery nearly threw up all his insides that time, while Prongs backed away quickly, clearly disgusted. All of Avery's chums began to look green in the face while Avery excused himself.

"Wow, that puking potion really does work fast." Wright and Oates shared a mischievous smirk, while Lily shot me a warning look.

She probably didn't want her Jamesie Poo's Head Boy name to be defiled already, or whatever. Or it could have been the fact that Marlene looked liked she wanted to bawl her eyes out again.

Why did I date again?

"How did it exactly work? I thought the potion had to be inside your mouth."

It wasn't that hard, really. As long as the potion somehow got on their hands, it would come into play. I mean nearly everyone ends up putting their hands to their mouth, whether it was coughing, sneezing, wiping the mouth, eating dead skin, wiping snot off, snorting some sort of pixie dust, etc. Basically the usual.

"Well," Both of them looked at me with their full attention, while I meant to single out Wright.

Shit, I had to use her name.

"…Kathy?" She made a slight face of disgust before laughing.

"God, you thought that was my name? Ack, my grandmum calls me that and I hate it." Her smile was nice though as she said this.

Hm, she was a bit charming.

"Is it Kate then?" She shook her head, while heaving a big dramatic sigh.

"Honestly, after what we've been through all last night," Oh, Merlin, did she really say that right in front of the Anti Black Club?

"What were _you _doing with _him_?" Leave it to Kirk to be the one to interject. She only brushed him off as she continued.

"One would think you would remember my name." Was it just me or did I seem like a huge prat?

"Well, he calls you 'Kitty'," I pointed at Oates "While that bloke who hates me calls you 'Wright'. It's hard to remember it when you go by so many names."

"Because two is so many," To my surprise, she merely laughed as Kirk looked quite red in the face.

I guess he didn't like sharing.

"Katherine." Was all she said.

"What?" My sandwich had gotten soggy from all this chitchat.

"That's my name." She began to dig into her food, cutting away in a not too ladylike manner. But it wasn't like she was some boorish brut stuffing her face either; she just looked like she had an appetite.

"Oh." Was that the only the thing I could say?

She smiled briefly at me before returning to her meal.

Apparently so.

Ignoring the looks from my sour ex and her brooding henchman, Kirk, it was probably one of the better meals I had in a long time.

* * *

**Oh man, bam, there, finished! Now I need to pee. Why do I always have to pee when I update? I know Sirius's POV got a bit lengthy, but I'll try to make up for it with James's POV next chapter. Man, I love writing Harry's dad. Hm, where am I going with this? Well, I can tell you to expect Quidditch practice with the Gryffindors next chapter, and maybe a glimpse into Katherine's luuurve life—it's a pretty messy one, just a heads up. I might save the latter for Chapter Five. Believe it or not, you guys, I am planning this out! …Finally. Anyways, thanks for reading this far! Please review? Or not? I'll just cower here, looking pathetic even though you can't really see me. But you can imagine me looking pathetic, yes, and imagination totally exaggerates everything. Okay, I'm shutting up now. **


	4. Quidditch Tyranny and Barmy Exes

_**James**_

"Now tell it to me straight, Padfoot," He looked up at me with a chocolate frog's leg wiggling in his mouth.

Hrm?" Slurping the leg between his teeth, he swallowed quickly, beckoning for me to go on.

"That Hufflepuff girl." Now the whole dorm room was interested in the subject. Wormtail hung from the top bunk upside down, dropping his _Witches and Bitches_magazine in keen interest. Moony, on the other hand, was a bit subtler by simply putting down his quill, pausing his letter to his mother. I don't blame them. This eavesdropping session was going to be intense.

"Katherine?" Oh ho! He knew who I meant from just the mere mentioning of a Hufflepuff that happened to be a girl.

"I meant Kirk but sure, tell me about Katherine while we're at it." He only shrugged as he leaned against the headboard, opening a bottle of Butterbeer.

"Dunno. She's interesting to talk to."

"Oh come off it, Padfoot. You two have been hanging outside of classes and meals lately. And look, there it is!" I pointed that damn grin he gets on his face he makes when he finds a new broom part or a new girl. Last year, it was mostly broom parts since Marlene was crazy bitch but that was last year.

I was pretty sure he hadn't spiffed up his broom lately.

"Look here, Prongs," All three of us looked at him "I don't really want to go into this whole courting nonsense for awhile. Katherine is just fun and there isn't any form of pressure to meet with her daily, carry her books or what have you. She is simply a girl. And simply a friend."

"Oh oh oh, she's your girlfriend then!" Wormtail squeaked this from up above, his head turning red.

"No, _no._Don't label it, you dolt. It's nothing like that." The chocolate frog package flew from Padfoot's hand, smacking Wormtail lightly against the forehead.

"Sounds like it to me." He rubbed his forehead as his face grew all the more red, "I think all the blood is going to my head…" Yet Wormtail remained like that for what I like to think is something of stubbornness rather than just plain stupidity.

"She's kind of loony compared to your regular type, mate." I grinned at his frown, feeling like a proud parent of a moody teenage boy. You would think with Moony being a werewolf and all, he would be the moodiest, but Padfoot took that title.

"That's because we're not dating, so I don't really care." He slumped down against his bed. I got up from my desk and threw myself on top of him.

"You hear that men? Sirius Black doesn't care! True love! Your babies are going to be born in a mental asylum! That is dedication, right there!" I held him in a headlock while Moony and Wormtail laughed in amusement.

"What the fuck, Prongs! Get off of me!" Padfoot jammed his chin against my forearm, struggling like the wee little puppy he was. It was quite adorable, really.

"Not until you admit your undying love for Katie!" My grip tightened.

"Her name's Katherine, you prat!" He kicked against the bed, struggling all the more.

"Close enough," He met my words with a glare as I let go of him, throwing a punch to my side with more than a little force.

"Ow, bloody hell, Padfoot!" I rubbed my side as Padfoot looked at me with a smirk on his face.

"Alright, you two, there's a time where things need to stop." We both looked at Moony, finding amusement in his reprimanding.

"Yes, Mum." Padfoot spoke in a high voice, urging me to go along.

"Hey, Mum, can I have some money to go to Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah, can we go, Mum?"

"Mum." Now Padfoot just kept repeating Mum as I lost it, not being able to control my laughter.

"Mum, listen to me." A book hit Padfoot straight in the forehead, and I found myself doubled over laughter towards Moony's unexpected act of violence. I really loved him at times like this.

"Mum, can you tell the two of them to stop it? I'm trying to sleep." Oh, sure, Wormtail just got a scowl and not a book to the face. He was the favorite child.

"Merlin, that really hurt, Moony." Sure enough, there was a red welt on Padfoot's forehead, and I snorted, trying to keep the laughter in.

"Red looks good on all Gryffindors, mate."

"Fuck you, Prongs."

* * *

"Hey, Lily?" To my surprise, she looked up at me with a blank, nonchalant face. No fiery passion. It wasn't bad, just _different_.

"Yes?" She put her quill down next to her empty breakfast plate, which she hadn't even bothered to fill yet since she was so focused on her Charms essay.

"That's the essay for Charms, right? You mind if we look over it together after duties? I promise you I'm not proposing something with ulterior motives." Her suspicious look started to fade as she thought for a moment.

"Show me your completed essay right now." She held her hand forward, not batting an eye.

"You want to review it right now? I mean we've only got half an hour and…"I rummaged through my knapsack, pulling the two inch thick essay out.

"Just let me see it." And so I handed it to her, to which she glanced over for a few moments.

"Well, since you're actually being serious, then sure, I don't see why not." She handed it back and started to work on hers once more, not uttering another word. I was entirely confused for a moment when it struck me that she thought I was playing around. Did showing my essay to her somehow prove myself? I always did my homework—well most of the time. Most of the time during last year, anyways.

What? Self-discipline is a hard thing to accomplish for fine, young strapping boys like myself.

All of that aside, I was pretty sure I had a study date with Lily Evans.

And I felt like I was going to piss myself from anxious excitement. It was ridiculous what she did to me.

"Morning, everyone." Moony situated himself next to me with Wormtail on his other side.

"Oh, morning, Remus." Lily said quickly as she scribbled furiously. Something told me she had been up all night perfecting that essay. I found it admirable, really. It was also cute how her nose wrinkled as she thought long and hard about what to write next.

"Where's Sirius?" I asked to which both Moony and Wormtail shrugged, not really seeming to care.

"He left the dormitory with us. You know how he is. Once he finds a new girl, he gets a bit obsessive." Filling his cup with coffee, Moony nodded over towards the Hufflepuff table, where low and behold, I saw that son of a bitch (Aha, get it, because he's an actual son of a bitch? As in his mother's a bitch and he's a dog and…well, now jokes don't need much of an explanation, I suppose) next to Katherine Wright.

Why did he always have to prove me right?

"Well, that's not a surprise." I said this as a smirk tugged on the corners on my lips. It was tempting to go bother the lot of them, but it was just so much fun to watch Padfoot banter with this small brown haired girl. I mean she wasn't as tiny as Marlene was; she had a nice composure and didn't have bosoms that threatened to make her topple over herself at any minute.

But she wasn't Lily Evans either.

"What's not a surprise?" Mary joined the table with the giant bosoms bestowing Marlene and her weird boyfriend, Kirk. It was hard to decide on whether or not I should lie in order to protect Padfoot's safety.

But it's so much fun to see unexpected reactions, especially from ex-girlfriends!

"Ah, nothing that really concerns the lot of you." In the end, loyalty to my best friend won because I knew how much of a scene Marlene and Henry Kirk could cause.

"No need to be rude, James." Que creepy smile from Kirk. I didn't even know what to think, really. It was just weird to have a guy admire me _that _much I mean…

"That homewrecking whore." Shit. We all followed Marlene's glare to Padfoot, Katherine and Alden, the three of them chatting excitedly.

"Ah, Marlene," Kirk looked uncomfortable as he watched Katherine laugh unabashedly at a joke Padfoot told, "Kitty doesn't mean much by it. She's just overly friendly. She's not interested in dating, I assure you. I've known her since birth, practically. Besides, Black wouldn't be her type. She's better than that. I could have Alden verify that for you." I couldn't help but frown. This was my _best mate_ that he was shitting on.

"Why wouldn't Sirius be a good match for your friend Kate? You can't tell me that she's too good for him because you don't even seem to like her much. Just leave them alone, they're not harming anyone." Again, Kirk looked confronted as he registered what I was saying. I guess it would be like having your favorite star Quidditch player scold you for being a conceited prat.

"Listen, I know that Black is your best friend and everything, but for Merlin's sake, he's terrible at relationships. Kitty knows better than to get involved in that. I don't mean it in any personal way, it's just Kitty does not like commitment in the first place and being with someone as messy as Black, well that just wouldn't work out…" His words drowned out as Padfoot came over and joined us at our table.

"Good morning to all! It's a pretty nice day, isn't it? I could fancy going for a morning walk. I don't have classes until one! Anyone care to join me?" He began to pile hotcakes on his plate, unaware of the tension forming at his expense.

"I cannot believe you…you fucking wanker!" Before any of us could even blink, Marlene dumped her pumpkin juice on Padfoot and stormed out of the Great Hall. For the first time since I talked to her, Lily looked up from her essay in fumes.

"Who the hell threw pumpkin juice? It landed all over my work! Potter! Was it you?" I shook my head quickly and motioned towards the upset Marlene exiting out of the doorway.

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Marlene…!" Lily uttered this underneath her breath as she casted a drying spell on her homework and then glanced at Padfoot.

"What did you say this time?" She looked inquisitive, her anger quickly fading into only faint irritation.

"I honestly couldn't tell you. All I said is that it would be a good day for a walk…" He blew at his damp bangs, his whole head reeking of pumpkin. Sighing, Lily shook her head as she casted the same spell on Padfoot.

"Thanks, Lily." He grumbled his gratitude as he picked at his breakfast, which was also covered in pumpkin juice.

"Maybe you should just sit somewhere else for awhile, Sirius. I mean I'm not saying it's entirely your fault for this whole break up, but in many eyes, it is. Just try to keep a low profile while Marlene gets through this. She just has a lot going on, as you know." I was surprised to hear Lily being so reasonable when it pertained to her friends. Usually, she defended them with great loyalty. I suppose even loyalty had its limits. I mean look at Snape—she let him tread at her heels until he pushed it too far.

Not that I'm complaining. It was sickening how he obsessed over her with that depressing look about him. Slimy little git.

"Well, that's why I sat with Katherine and her friend. I decided to ask if she was having trouble with Defense Against the Dark Arts because I noticed that she had trouble during the last lesson. So we all talked about that for awhile. Then I saw James, Remus and Peter over here and wanted to ask if they wanted to go to the lake after breakfast since we all don't have a first class period today. Then Marlene comes at me with fury and I just don't know." He began to rub his temples in exhaustion, his good mood quickly fading away.

"Just why are you so keen on Katherine, Black?" Glaring, Kirk cut slowly at his sausage link while Mary just sat there in uncomfortable silence.

"Merlin! You too, Kirk? I don't want in her knickers! She's just a breath of fresh air in the midst of all of this shit. Now bugger out of my business, you prick." And now, Padfoot stormed away from the table. See, he still had things in common with Marlene! Dramatic exits was one of them.

"I honestly do not see where all of this drama is coming from," Kirk started on this thought only to double over, letting out grunts of pain. When he lifted his head up, his left eye was swelling insanely.

"Ah, looks like a stinging jinx, an old favorite of Padfoot's." Kirk clutched at his face as I said this, reaching for his own wand, only to struggle with his impaired vision.

"James! For goodness's sake, do something to control your idiotic friends!" Lily was more so annoyed than horrified at the sight of Kirk's disfigured face. I almost felt sorry for the poor bloke what with him not knowing how to avoid the wrath of moody Padfoot, but with a mouth like his, he had it coming.

"Oh fine, oh fine. Ten points from Gryffindor for unneeded violence and ten points from Hufflepuff, for antagonism." Before anyone could object, I stood and left the table in pursuit of Padfoot, hoping to join him on his walk.

"Prongs?" To my surprise, Wormtail had joined me as well and struggled to keep up with me. I slowed my pace down, grinning at his eagerness. While it was true Wormtail sometimes lacked a bit in both looks and personality, there was something about him that was too endearing. Perhaps it was his humility or his quiet sense of humor he often kept from us. When given the appropriate amount of time, Wormtail could be a bundle of fun and giggles.

Though, it was a rare occurrence, sadly.

"Oh, you're joining us on our walk? The more the merrier! We just need to find the sulking Padfoot first." Reaching inside my robes, I pulled out the Marauders Map.

"Would you do the honors, mate?" Wormtail nodded as he took the map, fumbling for his wand.

"_I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_." His squeaky voice rung out as the map transformed, immediately showing Padfoot's whereabouts.

"He's already near the lake. Does he travel fast!" The two of us quickly headed towards the lake, which took a few minutes due to meet and greets with fellow students, dodging a hex from Mulciber and moving through various groups of peers.

When we found Padfoot, he was tossing rocks into the lake absent-mindedly with a frown set on his face.

"Oi!" He looked up at us with a slight grin as we sat next to him.

"Well, Kirk's eyes looked exquisite today. Quite some handiwork you did there. You haven't used that jinx in awhile." All three of us laughed as we watched students from across the lake, most of them being girls.

"Thought I could recycle some old spells. It's only healthy." After that, we sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments. Giggles of the younger girls carried over the lake, and we watched them with little interest.

"You would think that women would learn that cackling is really unattractive" We all nodded in agreement at Padfoot's observation.

"That's one of the reasons why I like Lily. She's real, you know? Not full of rubbish whatsoever."

"Don't start moaning about Evans right now, chap. It will just put you in a bad mood like myself. Women, I tell you, aren't worth the anguish. I've haven't had any peace since this year has started. This is supposed to be our final year, the _best year_. And look at this crock of shit I'm in." Heaving a huge sigh, Padfoot rested his head in his hand.

"Well, I guess I won't tell you the news about my progress." The bait was set, now all Padfoot had to do was take it.

"Prongs has a study date with Lily." Of course, Wormtail had to open his mouth and ruin the element of surprise.

"Oh? Impressive, mate." He was silent after that, which kind of irritated me. I mean I had been after the girl of my dreams and all he had was just one word of congratulations? I mean I at least gave him a clap on the back when he lost his virginity to Marlene, even though that had probably been a mistake in long run.

"Yeah, I mean, it's not a big deal or anything." Whatever. If Padfoot was going to be moody then I could be moody too. All three of us again sat in silence, and it stayed like that for some time.

For once, I didn't feel like making it my obligation to cheer Padfoot up.

* * *

"All right, gather up. Meadowes, stop snogging Holmes and get over here." Dorcas shot me quite the dirty look before leaning over to her boyfriend's ear, whispering sweet nothings about Quidditch, I hoped.

"Oi, it's enough that we have to see you two in the Common Room." It looked like Padfoot was just as annoyed with those two as I was.

"Just because you two are sexually frustrated doesn't mean you can take it out on people who are in relationships." Of all times for her to be mouthy, this time wasn't necessarily the best.

"Don't talk to me about relationships, Dorcas." She meant her comment to be playful, I'm sure, but Padfoot had been a bit touchy about the whole Marlene thing.

It had only been a few weeks, after all. And with Marlene's little episode today, I wouldn't blame him.

"You don't have to be a prat about it." Andrew Holmes by now was gone and that meant a more irritable Dorcas.

"Well, I'm not the one ignoring the captain since I'm too busy eating my boyfriend's face off!" The rest of the team had grown quiet now as the two of them went at it.

"Hah! Boyfriend? Is that why you dumped Marlene? She was sobbing to me all night long, and as much as a wonderful person she is—don't get me wrong —I couldn't sleep a wink. You could have saved us all the trouble if you just admitted you're some sort of queer in the first place."

Maybe Padfoot would ignore her, since he knew how important practice was tonight…

"Oh, a gay joke! How clever of you, Meadowes! How long did it take for you to think of that one? I guess I can't throw one about how you look like you'd enjoy a rug to munch on now and then. No, that would be too unoriginal of me." Or maybe not.

Merlin, did they really have to pick tonight to start hating each other?

"Fuck you, Black." Spitting at his feet, she picked up her broom and moved to the other side of the group.

"Oh, no thank you, I'm good." He gave a harsh laugh while a few of us chuckled weakly.

"You think you're such a clever little git, but I couldn't give a rat's arse about what you say and…"

"_Okay_," I cut in quickly, before the fight could escalate, "Dorcas, I trust that I can leave you on your own if I let you give a go at a snitch instead of Sirius?" Mumbles about how I was an arrogant sod and that I always sided with my _boyfriend_ came from her, but she obliged.

"Sirius, Brigham," Brigham Holmes, the younger of the two Holmes brothers, gave me his full attention while Padfoot's waned a bit. He was kind of busy, what with his sending constant dirty looks at Dorcas and such.

"Padfoot!" Now I had his attention. It was funny, really, because the way he jolted his head at me was like a dog.

I wonder if I came across like a stag…

Well, there was a time for that question later, seeing how I had a team that had better be ready to play to their deaths.

With the intention of good old fashioned fun, of course.

"You two can start beating and practice aiming at the weak spots," My hand gestured towards the stands, where many students would be seated.

Some of those pesky Slytherin chasers liked to linger near that area, which seemed pretty cheap in my opinion.

"What if we hit the stands?" It was hard not to scoff at this since I had to take the naïve nature of Brigham into serious consideration. Sure, he was a new member, but he had to have an idea of how the Gryffindor team worked.

"Oh, but you won't." Despite my reassurance, he still worried. People who worried a lot really got on my nerves. I wasn't exactly sure why, to be honest, but maybe it had to do with the fact they lacked confidence or something.

"But, what if we hit it too hard or…"

"Holmes, tell me, am I a good captain?"

"Huh? Well, yeah, you've been the captain since fifth year, so you're a great captain and…"

"Then bloody go!" He yelped slightly in surprise and quickly went to release the Bludgers while Padfoot gave a few snorts of laughter.

"He was just being cautious, mate." He walked after Holmes after he said this, laughing probably for the first time since Defense Against the Dark Arts, which we shared with the Hufflepuffs. But other than that, he was in a pretty foul mood, especially with Marlene moping around all over the Common Room.

"A little too cautious for my liking. All this talking is wasting our practice time, so chasers, Hubbard," The two younger members looked at me eagerly while our keeper, James Hubbard, was too busy amusing himself with the Quaffle.

"Hubbard! Give it here, you bloke," Hesitantly, he handed me the Quaffle while the two chasers had already began to quarrel about Merlin knows what.

"Just because your brother was the old captain doesn't mean you're better than the rest of us!"

"And just because you've read every single book there is about Quidditch doesn't mean you know everything either, you little Quidditch anorak!"

"Gibbs," The accused Quidditch anorak looked at me, clearly smug I had called on him "Be nice to your underclassmen. Are we not the mighty Gryffindors?"

"But you hex first years all the time, Potter." Hubbard had decided to be cute once more with that little smart arse mouth of his.

"That's all in the past, Other James. I view underclassmen as my brothers now." Annoying, pesky little brothers, but they were family nevertheless.

"Why can't you be Other James? I'm older." Me? Other James? What a joke.

"Because I'm better looking, that's why." My attempt to sound serious didn't last long when Padfoot shouted his tidbit over his shoulder.

"And he has a better looking bum as well! Ask Henry Kirk, he'll tell you!" A loud crack sounded when he hit a rock into the air with his bat.

"Release the Bludgers already, Padfoot, and you two," The two chasers looked at me with those eager faces again. This time I felt very uncomfortable, but I pressed on anyways.

"You two will have to get along if we want to win against Slytherin. Now everyone go do what I've assigned." No one argued. Instead, we all gathered our brooms and took off towards the pitch.

* * *

"No, no, no! Meadowes, you're doing it all wrong! When someone corners you on one of your sides, you dive down and _then_move away! Not the other way around! And Sirius! You call that beating? Try to send it at least halfway across the field, alright?" Completely frustrated, I called a timeout and brought our team down to the field. I was met with scowls from every member.

"Listen here," I spoke to Gibbs lowering my voice "You and I need to stay on the same page. I can't have you straying too far behind Hall and me."

"Prongs, calm the fuck down. You always go into tyrant mode during practice." Inspecting his nails, Padfoot glanced up at me casually, which pissed me off all the more.

"Yeah, listen to your boyfriend for once." Dorcas piped up, still sore from earlier.

"This is the last year for some of us to win the cup! And I am not letting Avery and his gang beat the bloody hell out of us!" Begrudging agreements came in return as Dorcas and Sirius glared at one another.

"Now I want to go over this play one more time! If we don't get it right then be wary of anything you eat tomorrow, because I will stoop that low!" Although my threat was empty in my opinion, everyone quickly got back on their brooms and went back up to the pitch.

In the end, we went over the same play four more times, finally grasping it on the last try. Before we could try it again for a fifth time, our practice time had officially ended with everyone begging to go to the changing room.

"Oh, fine! Next practice, all of you better pay more attention!" I flew down to the pitch, stepping off the broom quickly. It was frustrating being the captain because suddenly, you're the nagging mum that everyone wants to tell to fuck off.

It is not fun being the nagging mum. I wanted to be the cool mum that made biscuits and tea for all of the little darlings. And treacle tarts, don't forget those.

"Good job, you blokes. Thanks for dealing with my _tyranny_." My announcement rang through the changing room, getting chuckles in response.

"We'll get the hides of those damn Slytherins. They all cheat anyways." Hubbard spoke up from the back while Padfoot stood up on the bench.

"Now, let's not forget their number one tactic: Essence of Snape's hair!" All of us roared in laughter as he imitated Snape attempting to wash his hair.

"This is shampoo, you say? Don't trust it! I bet it's Muggle feces!" Shoving all the hair in front of his face, Padfoot kept up the charade for a few minutes, all of our moods being lightened. Maybe hitting a Bludger was all he needed to relieve stress.

Maybe I could have conjured it to look like Marlene's face.

We all got dressed, trying our best to cover up the sweat that ran off our bodies with various colognes.

"Now, I have to run and make my rounds with Lily. I'll see you around, dear chums!" Hoots and wolf whistles followed me as I exited the changing room and entered the main castle.

Quickly I made my way to the Common Room, using a few shortcuts on the way. When I had finally arrived, a patient Lily was seated on one of the chairs, scribbling away on the same essay.

"Oh, uh, hey." Of course, I immediately lost composure and grinned like a complete arse.

"Hi, James." She gave a small, pleasant smile as she put her essay away. Something was different about her today. Her unexpected kindness made my whole face heat up, it was incredible.

"Sorry if I'm late, I just finished practice with the team and it was a tough one…"

"It's fine. Let's do our rounds quickly so we can compare our essays. I'm just having a hell of hard time with this bugger." I snorted at her use of profanity, to which she gave a skeptical look.

"Does my pain amuse you?" She frowned slightly, while I stammered for an excuse.

"N-no, I was just…"

"Goodness, Potter, you should be able to detect sarcasm," This time, she gave me a full grin as she walked out the Common Room "I'll take the upper levels. You take the lower levels and the grounds!"

"Ah, oh, um, okay!" All composure completely lost.

I was an utter fool around her.

* * *

_**Katherine**_

"What the hell are you up to with Black?" I gazed up from my cozy position on the huge, yellow cushion in the Common Room as Henry stormed in.

"Hi, Henry. How was your day? Mine was uneventful until this loon came in and started screaming at me for something as insignificant as a new friend. Do you ever have loons barge in the Common Room and make a commotion? It causes quite the ruckus." I shifted onto my back and gazed up at him upside down.

"Would you answer my question?" Impatient, he ran his fingers through his hair much like James Potter did. Merlin, that Kirk boy could be so barmy.

"Well…wait," His completely fucked up eye distracted me "What…what happened to your face?"

"Never mind that, it's none of your business…"

"Then what I do with Sirius Black isn't any of yours. I'll give you a hint though: it involves babies and pixie dust."

"Quit fucking around, will you?" His face was scarlet, which startled me a bit. He normally never got that angry, not even the time when Alden and I wrote him a fake love letter from Regina Hadigan in our fourth year.

"Look," I gazed up at him, trying my best to appease him "I really don't know what you're on about."

"Yes, you do! You and Black! What the fuck is that?" He stayed red in the face while I stayed silent for a moment, taking what he said into consideration.

"Is this why you're so upset? I know you hate Sirius.."

"Oh, _Sirius_, is it now? You didn't even know what he looked like until this very year!" Now it was my turn to frown. Anger really didn't work well for me because I usually ended up crying like pussy, wailing about how everyone was wrong and I was the rightest person in all of the Wizarding World.

Rightest is a word in my dictionary.

Then again, any word is in my vocabulary when I'm angry.

"Blagh!" Like that one. I think it means an expression of contempt. I'll come up with a better meaning for it later.

"Just grow the fuck up for one minute, Katherine." His voice lowered as he spoke slowly. I honestly didn't know what to say.

"What do you want, Henry?" I sat up and looked him directly in the eye. He was really beginning to bother me.

"Just don't see Black anymore. He's no good, Kitty." He hardly called me that anymore. His face softened as he said this, discomfort growing within me.

"But I enjoy seeing him. It's just mere friendship." He let out another sigh of frustration as he knelt down to my level.

"I don't care what you two call it. He's no good!" Goodness, the little bastard started yelling in my ear.

"Okay, Daddy. Like Abbott's any better." Apparently my dry retort wasn't as harmless as I thought because Henry glowered at me. It was a pretty nasty look too. Like as nasty as an old man's phanny waggling about.

Like a Dumbledore old phanny. Oh, Merlin, imagine him prancing about with no robes on! It would be glorious. The most glorious thing to ever happen in Hogwarts.

"Promise me you won't see him anymore." He grew quite serious, lowering his voice so only the two of us could hear. He had that familiar determined look that he got on Quidditch pitch, and it gave me a shiver down my back. Sometimes, Henry could be too intense of a person.

"No." Somehow, I managed to stare defiantly back at him and this pissed him off all the more.

"Katherine! Just please, trust me on…"

"Oh, _trust you_? That's rich, Kirk. Real rich. I'd rather not. You may think you have authority over what I do and say. You've been under that notion for quite some time. However, you've never seemed to notice that I don't fucking care what you think about my personal life. If I want to start a harem of young attractive men, starting with Sirius Black, then I will. I'll move onto Diggory next. Ten galleons a shag. I'll be the biggest Madame in Hogwarts—second biggest in Hogsmeade." By the time I finished, he had gotten up and started towards the exit. It was just like him to go pout when he couldn't get his way. However, he paused right before he left.

"The sky's going to look nice tonight." Oh, fuck him and his stupid little codes.

"Eat shit, Kirk." I snapped at him but he only gave me that same intense look before stepping out. He was completely mad just to barge in here, scream in my face and then saunter out in a huff.

I was definitely not going to the Astronomy tower that night. He could go up there and camp all night.

I simply did not give a shit.

It just aggravated me on how he thought I would run at every chance to spend time with him.

Well fuck Kirk because I have some wild plans tonight, which included sneaking into the kitchens to get some fucking cake.

It was going to be a fucking great time.

* * *

Turns out that sneaking into the kitchens was harder than expected due to the whole awkwardness of just standing there and having the house elves shuffle around you, unsure of what to do. It was like I punched them all in the gut while screaming for cake. Besides, they had to finish cleaning up from dinner, and I didn't want to be that bitch.

So, I ventured out to the Quidditch pitch and found that Gryffindor was practicing .It wasn't like I knew they were practicing beforehand or anything.

No. Definitely not.

I was glad to see that Slytherin didn't bother to show up and be little pansies about the whole thing with them trying to steal an extra practice in that week.

"No, no, NOOOOO!" Bloody hell, that James Potter could be surprisingly uptight when it came to Quidditch. He was almost as bad as Henry.

But not quite, since Henry liked to be physically abusive with us because he was that type of cunt.

I looked up at Sirius, whom seemed a little distracted which resulted in him nearly getting hit by a Bludger. He faltered on his broom, falling down about ten feet or so before his broom could gather more air.

How strange. Normally, during games, he kept his air pretty well. It was probably his monster ex girlfriend that wailed whenever he even glanced at her that was bothering him.

She was fun. I liked her…whatever her name was.

Lulu?

Yeah, it was Lulu.

I ended up watching the rest of their practice, feeling kind of weird seeing all of their plays. We had already played against them the previous week however, so it didn't really matter. They kicked our bums anyways.

It was funny because Sirius kept saying he'd find a way to distract me during the game when we would play against them and I told him I was distracted enough as it was, but he insisted he would purposefully distract me.

He could be a real riot sometimes.

When they had decided to quit practicing, I quickly made it out of the stands and back into the castle since I didn't want them to think I was stalking them and stealing their knickers or anything.

Though I bet Potter's knickers were made of the finest silk and I could make a new pillowcase from them.

When I got back in, I lingered around for some reason. I was just so _bored_ and well, besides Aldie and Henry, I didn't have many friends to bother.

I mean I had a hell of a lot of acquaintances, but it wasn't the same. Sure, all of us Hufflepuffs have gotten drunk together and partied vigorously, but I didn't like seeing them every day. Besides, a lot of the girls got annoyed that I supposedly got on so_ well_ with Henry even though we really hated each other. In other words, it meant no girlfriends for Katherine Wright.

Normally, Alden and I were attached to the side but he was in the midst of pursuing some dumb bint again. As for Henry, he was with that girlfriend of his or Abbott. I didn't like either one of them much.

As pathetic as it was, I was pretty lonely these days. Then I had that run in with Sirius Black right after his atrocious break up, and well, he made a pretty fun friend to be around!

We spent a lot of time together during our free period, often outside in the courtyard or by the lake. It was just nice to be with someone who felt as much as an outcast as you did. Except for Sirius, it was like he was _too _popular. Everyone was too concerned with his love life which often ensued in ridiculous rumors.

Like him taking Michelle Harrison's virginity last night or hexing ten young men in a fit of rage.

So, it couldn't have hurt to see what he was up to after practice. It's not like I wanted to be his shoulder to wail fat, blubbery tears on. No, I was being selfish in the fact that I found him a lot of fun to be around. Besides, I couldn't have been any creepier than the time I first met him.

In the end, I decided that if I walked by the entrance from the Quidditch field very slowly and if he happened to walk by, then we could chat. But I could walk by slowly once, otherwise then it would be very creepy.

In my head, all of this logic made complete sense.

Just like the word _Blagh_.

Sure enough, when in midst of taking the seventh slow step, Sirius emerged from the exit.

"Katherine!" He grinned at me as I looked at him. He was completely covered in sweat—it was kind of gross to be honest. It ran down his neckline and I wondered why something like that was supposed to be a turn on. Whenever Henry got all sweaty, I wanted to vomit all over his face—especially his nose so chunks of dinner would fly up his nasal cavity. Then I could tell him about the time where I vomited all over his face and he couldn't do anything about it.

"Hello! I'd say what coincidence this is but I may have been watching your team practice for the big game on Saturday. There is also the chance I've just finished having the most profound conversation with Peeves." Playing along, he pretended to look completely interested in the latter subject.

"Just what did he say, Katherine?" His grey eyes twinkled a bit, which made me wonder if he could do that on will. Like, oh, girl, I'm going to twinkle until your knees buckle. He would have to teach me how to do that.

"Oh, something about Dumbledore being a ninny-whinny who likes to nilly his willy but only on Sundays. You know, the usual. All of it was too fast that I couldn't keep up. It's like everything he says is an extended metaphor." Both of us laughed a little and then we stood there in corridor, a bit awkwardly, may I add.

"So, uh, you headed anywhere?" He tucked his unkempt hair, although it was usually neat, behind his ears. I wondered as to why he didn't tie it back during practice. That was the thing with young men growing their hair out. They always let it hang all over the place and it looked uncomfortable. Sirius Black was apparently sex itself, well according to the third years in my Common Room anyways, but a little sweaty hair wouldn't ruin that.

"No. Not really." Hell would freeze over before I went up to that damn Astronomy Tower. Henry Kirk could just go sod off and bitch about what a cad I am to his girlfriend.

"Fancy taking a stroll then?" He began to roll up his sleeves, shrugging one shoulder to keep his bag in place.

"Is that what you hip children call socializing these days?" I stuck out my hand, offering to take his bag to which he complied. To my surprise, it was heavier than expected. He must have enchanted it somehow so the handles wouldn't stretch at all.

Or I was just incredibly weak.

Either way, it was pretty heavy.

As I struggled to carry his bag, he started to pick up his pace and went a few steps ahead of me.

"Oi," He looked back at me when I called towards him "This is really fucking heavy."

"Just wait. It will get even heavier after ten minutes."

"You cock!"

We both laughed again, this time being more carefree. He waited a moment for me to catch up and took his bag back.

"So, what now?" I asked him, unsure of what exactly a stroll meant for Sirius. Did it mean skinny dipping with the giant squid or crusading through the Forbidden Forest?

"Here, just let me stop by my dorm real quick." I nodded as he took off, rocking on my heels. He turned the corner around the corridor, leaving me behind.

Well, that was interesting.

"Wright," His head peeked back over the corner "Come on, quit fucking around." Oh, I was invited.

I wasn't used to that.

I scurried after him as he dashed up flights of stairs, looking like gazelle being chased by a pride of lions. It was strange with him. One moment, we were completely calm and the next, we were mad men scouring the halls of Hogwarts for some unknown treasure. It reminded me of times with Aldie and Henry, before their bollocks started to drop and they got obsessed with girls' various holes.

"_Gillyweed_." He spoke without thinking to a portrait of this big, fat lady. Well, bam, there was Gryffindor Tower before me. It was kind of awkward since I was a Hufflepuff and everything.

"I'll wait out here, I spose." I said this in hopes of just being left behind, but Sirius was far too nice of a guy to do that.

"Oh, no, come in! Just hang around in the Common Room. I bet your friend Kirk is in there, so it won't be too awkward." Oh, bloody hell. Henry would tear my head off and then devour my ovaries, preventing any further reproduction.

"No, no I'm fine."

"Nonsense," Taking my elbow, he pulled me into the Portrait Hole "It will just take a few moments."

"Hey there, mate!" One of the Gryffindors greeted him to which he nodded back. He then led me to the front of the fireplace, urging me to take a seat on the sofa. It was just different being in a room that had so much…crimson. Part of my Hufflepuff pride kicked in, screaming that everything was dyed red with the blood of badgers, our beloved mascot.

But, I knew deep down, Gryffindors hardly gave a shit about us. No, they were too focused on fucking _Slytherins_. I mean why couldn't we have an amazing rivalry where we exchange murderous looks across the Great Hall? All we got was snide remarks from Ravenclaws every now and then, which was boring. There was no blood and gore in that.

"Katherine?" Shit. Bugger. Cunt.

"No, you have the wrong person." Maybe Kirk would be barmy enough to fuck off and go snog his girlfriend.

"How the hell did you get in here?" He leaned over the arm of the sofa, his face awfully close near mine. He was speaking in hushed whispers; his S's pronounced like a really bad lisp.

"I don't even know. I honestly couldn't tell you." It was crucial to keep my eyes on where Sirius went to. The sooner he appeared, the sooner I escape from this massive pile of shit that was beginning to brew.

"Did Black bring you here? Did you even hear a single fucking thing I said earlier? He's no…"

"Just shut the hell up, Henry." My tone came out harsher than expected and I instantly regretted it. For a split second, I could see the hurt on his face. It brought on the worst feeling in my gut. It quickly morphed into an ugly glare.

"Fine. Shag him. I don't give a damn." Seething, he started to walk away but I found myself getting just as worked up.

"I bloody will then! We'll make tons and tons of Katherine Juniors! And they'll impregnate all of your offspring! Then we'll be forced to attend all of their weddings and sneer awkwardly at one another! Why? Because Henry Kirk is a big, ol' cunt who…who smells…smells…not good! Smells real bad! That's right!" Oh, I had all of the Gryffindors' attention now. Splendid.

Job well done, Katherine.

"Hello? Did I miss something?" Sirius kept true to his words about being quick. I was about to reply but then a huge uproar started.

"Sirius Black! You fucking bastard!" Oh, shit. Lulu was nearing towards us. I looked towards Sirius, who looked a bit pale in the face.

"Can this wait? I don't think we should talk to each other right now…" Although onto a reasonable approach, Sirius was cut off quickly.

"I can't believe you. You have no shame. First, you treat me like I'm some nuisance that you can toss aside…"

"Marlene, listen…"

"And then you dump me in the worst possible way, which was only three weeks ago, may I add…"

"Please, Marlene, not now…"

"You act like all is fine and dandy while I'm left to pick up the pieces! I see you have your new victim. Well, let me tell you, love, he's not worth the trouble!" Hah! This was getting to be great. I turned to see the poor bint she was addressing only to see no one.

Oh fuck, she meant _me_.

"Oh, you think that him and me…? No, no, no, you've got it all…" I tried to explain the situation but, no, she wouldn't finish. Lulu was a mouthy one.

"Of course he wouldn't want to define it. Open relationships are _so _much easier." Her sarcasm dripped onto every word, her expression getting to be something fearsome.

"That is completely and utterly ridiculous, Marlene! I never said I wanted that! You're just a fucking nag! Okay? Bloody hell! You drive me mad! All you do is pick fights! I liked being with you, that is true, but that was a long while ago! You're a fucking drag! You're worse than Moaning Myrtle for Merlin's sake! At least you can throw a book at her head and she can't complain of being hurt! Shit! We're leaving!" Before I could ask Lulu if her name was really Marlene, Sirius dragged me out of the Common Room. I heard a huge gasp turn into a choked sob as the obese woman swung shut.

"Man, that was better than your break up. Like, ten times better." I hope to break the tension but his mood was pretty much damaged from that huge blow up.

"She is pretty mad, but she's gorgeous. I could see why she would have been fun to date. I mean a girl like that has a lot of fiery passion and probably a lot of ambitions…"

"Just shut the fuck up about her." Ouch. Harsh.

"Well, fuck you too, Black." He quickly looked up at me and his face softened a bit, trying to form some explanation.

"Listen, I'm sorry, Katherine. She just _really_ bothers me. I mean to the point of wanting try out all three Unforgiveables on her." This made me think for a moment.

"If you had her underneath the _Imperius _curse, what would you have her do?" He laughed at first but I continued to look at him, expecting a serious answer.

"Dunno," he paused a moment and leaned against the corridor wall "Is having her eat her own shit too cliché?"

"Far too cliché. Terrible idea, really. Have her seduce Kirk and ruin all of her close friendships is far, far much more wicked." I suppose he disapproved as he frowned greatly. Oh, was this jealousy I detected! How scandalous.

"Oh and I'm unoriginal? That is completely boring. Besides, your friend Kirk wants shag my best mate. That wouldn't work out. You insult me with that suggestion." Or maybe that was what he took offense to.

"Fine. Have her make a pass at Lily Evans so James Potter beats her into oblivion." A surprised laugh jumped out of his mouth. Quickly, I covered it with my own hand as I listened for Filch. Sure enough, I heard those familiar grumbles and the mewing of Mrs. Norris.

"Well, great going, you cunt. Detention for us rebellious little twats…!" But Sirius kept his composure and nodded towards his hand. I finally noticed he had been carrying a folded cloak with him, but it gave little comfort.

"Oh, very nice, yes. It matches your complexion quite well." I could have gone for another hour on that cloak alone, but he motioned for me to be quiet as he knelt down. I stood there awkwardly for a moment until he hurriedly motioned for me to do the same. Finally, he took the cloak and threw it over the both of us. He must have sensed the clever comment I had planned because he covered my mouth like I had done with his just seconds earlier.

Quietly, we sat there.

Huddled under Sirius's beloved cloak.

We were supposed to be in disguise as ghost or something. Growing frustrated, I licked the inside of his hand but he didn't pull away. I didn't know what else to do because that usually grossed both Alden and Henry out. I had run out of ideas.

So, for some reason, it made sense to let Sirius smother me with his hand as Filch walked back and forth in front of us.

It was just ludicrous how he paced back and forth, when we were obviously right in front of him. Maybe he was going blind, but his damn cat should have been a good aide for that. If she could someone round up stray children, she could tell him where the fucking stairs were.

I wasn't much of a cat person.

Finally, Filch gave up and walked away, grumbling about dumb children and whatever else he hated. Oh, wait that was everything. That would make for some good conversation with himself.

We waited for a few minutes in silence, just to be sure.

A few minutes in complete silence are like eternity, just so you know. Especially when stuck under a dingy cloak.

"How did he not see us? Goodness." Sirius only grinned at my confusion.

"It's not too hard to guess." He pulled the cloak off us and stood up swiftly, signaling for me to follow him.

"Invisiblity? That's absurd! Then…then we would have more of these and a war wouldn't be emerging since everyone could go into hiding…" I trailed off as I felt that serious topic wasn't really appropriate. Luckily, for me, Sirius hadn't been paying too much attention and was instead focused on getting out of the castle.

"There's a quick passage down here." And so, he led me as I tried to push out concern for my mum. It just didn't make sense why Muggles were considered so inferior. It wasn't like all of them were rallying up a witch hunt. Muggleborns couldn't help their magical abilities either. Some of those Muggleborns were our mums too.

"…and she really couldn't hold a decent conversation. I don't know why I spent a year with her. Katherine?" Oh, he was complaining about Lulu or Marlene or whatever the hell her name was.

"Ah," I took a moment to think of something witty to say, "You just don't understand the typical woman, that's all." I guess wit was left out of that statement.

"What do you mean?" He led me to the statue of the one eyed witch while I fidgeted, trying to find the best words.

"Well, the average woman wants her dream man to open up completely to her, and well, you're not yourself with many people. I mean I don't know you well but you sure as hell act differently with me and well…"

"Yes, yes, we established that I'm fake. _Dissendium._" I was going to continue but, fucking Merlin's beard, the hump on the witch moved! A small passage opened, leading into darkness.

"Just…just where are we going?" Sirius took a step down one of the stairs and looked back at me with the biggest grin. It was so big that I found it extremely unsettling.

"Finish your thought and then I'll lead you." Well, that was going to be tough.

"You just…you can't date a girl and…did her hump really move?" I pointed at the hunchback witch to which Sirius slowly nodded.

"Very observant, now continue as we go down this passage." I only nodded weakly as he urged me to go in front of him.

Of course, I never did get to finish that thought that night because it was all too bloody bizarre.

Sirius Black was far, far more interesting than I thought he would be.

That, and he had quite good tastes in Sugar Quills.

* * *

**Well, shit. That got to be a long chapter. It's one in the morning but I feel accomplished. I didn't reveal much of Katherine's love life, but maybe some of you smart cookies picked up. Well, I'll do the curtain unveiling next chapter. Here's what to expect: Sirius and Katherine's continued adventure, Lily and James's study date (yay!), and a bunch of DRAAAAMZ, OH GURL. Tastefully done, of course. Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom. Please leave a review! It encourages me greatly and I like talking with my readers!**

**Love, Bobby.**


	5. Deluxe Sugar Quills and Study Dates

_**Lily**_

"The way you formed your thesis is a bit awkward," I looked up from James's paper, surprised he had feedback.

"What do you mean?" I realized I came off demanding but I worked really hard on it. Besides, James could be full of utter nonsense, claiming it wasn't about how handsome he was or something stupid like that.

"Well," he paused a moment, furrowing his brow "I'd say it's more so the placement. It's the third line of your intro. I overlooked it the first time reading it, so I'd say that isn't good."

"Maybe you weren't attentive enough." Was I really getting defensive with him?

For some reason, it really bothered me whenever he tried to give me advice.

"Yeah, maybe." He was then quiet and that annoyed me all the more.

"You don't think it's good?" I pressed him to elaborate even further.

"I didn't say that at all! It's very good, Lily." Oh, God, that _smile_. It was obvious that he was so full of shit.

"No, I want you to be honest with me." My eyes narrowed, as he seemed to get even more uncomfortable.

"How about you tell me what you think about my own paper?" Oh, no, he was not going to change the subject on me.

"Not until you tell me what you _truly _think about my paper, Potter." To my surprise, he frowned and took a defensive stance.

"Well, _Evans_," he bit back at me, clearly irritated "I tried to tell you but you didn't want to hear it, obviously."

"Who says I didn't want to hear it? That's foolishness! Tell me!" I stood up from my seat in the Common Room and loomed over him, trying to peek at the revisions on my paper.

"It's good! It's bloody good! It just needs a wee bit of tweaking, here and there." Pointing at the intro, he looked up at me warily, flushed in the face.

"_Here and there_? I've been working on it for two whole bloody days! Let me see it!" I attempted to snatch it from him, but in the midst of doing that, it tore.

Oh, fuck me.

"Not my fault." James immediately dropped the other half with his hands up in the air. Part of me wanted to tear his head off right then and there, but a deep feeling of shame began to nestle itself inside of me.

"You're right." I began to pick up the torn pieces of paper, not sure of what else to say. He would probably gloat because the famous James Potter is never wrong.

No. Never.

"_Reparo_." The pieces flew together and I looked up, expecting to see a smug smile underneath those amused, hazel eyes. However, his eyes were only on my essay, looking to see if it was fixed well enough.

Feeling timid, I stuck my hand out slowly.

"Could I please see it?" Much to my surprise, he simply handed it to me without any sass.

"Lily, it really is written well. Your thesis would just stand out better if you cut down your intro more. Flitwick just wants a report on the difference between charms and transfiguration. You don't need to get too wordy in it. That's just my opinion." I nodded, trying my best to take his suggestions to mind.

Oh God, I was such a loon just a moment ago. The embarrassment started to show on my face, a blush settling on my cheeks. Clearing my throat, I jabbed his paper back at him with more force than I intended. I tried to speak, but words wouldn't come out. The shame was just too much.

"Your paper was good too, James. Very good. In some parts, however, it just seems like you're spouting what Professor Flitwick says in his lectures. Just try to have more of an analytical stance." Finally, I managed to say something. He took the paper gently and nodded, looking over it.

It remained that way for the next five minutes or so, awkward silence and all. It was then I noticed how wild his hair had gotten from his Quidditch practice, some of it matted with sweat. Even though it sounds disgusting, on him, it was suiting.

I mean all stupid, arrogant jocks were sweaty.

"Say, Lily," His deep voice cracked a little, so he cleared his throat "The first Hogsmeade trip is coming up soon, right?"

"Yes, it's this Saturday, I think." Even though I knew where I think that question was headed, I didn't want to get my hopes up.

Maybe he would surprise me and continue to not ask me out, you know, just to prove me wrong. I honestly would not mind one bit.

"Ah, I thought so." And then it was silence from him, but not the nice, comfortable type. Oh no, it was quite tense. Another minute or so passed by with me looking at anywhere but him. It was then I realized the Common Room was very bare—except for the fifth year sleeping at the desk in the back, which resulted in drool on his textbooks, I presumed.

"This weekend? That's awfully close." Shuffling through his papers, he looked back down at them and another tortuous period of silence endured. Just what the hell was he on about? I focused on the sleeping fifth year, whose foot was twitching ever so slightly. To me, it seemed like he was in a comatose state rather than mere sleeping.

"Do you have any plans that day? I mean if…"

"Lily! LILY! There you are! Alice told me that you were taking a shower so I was looking for you there. Some help she is." At times like this, I really appreciated Marlene's flair for drama. She immediately came down the flight of stairs in her nightgown, unaware of James's presence.

"Oh, I'll be up soon, I'm just finishing going over my Charms essay with James." I nodded towards a disgruntled James, knowing I wouldn't dare answer his question right then.

If I answered him at all, that is.

"Oh…_oh._ I'm sorry! I wanted to tell you something, but it can wait." Marlene looked back and forth at the two of us, beaming with excitement.

No, no, no.

I couldn't let her get all sorts of ideas in that creative head of hers, oh no, definitely not.

"Tell me," she leaned against the arm of the couch opposite of James and me, a huge grin forming "How long have you two been _studying_ together?"

"Marlene, please," I began but she wouldn't let me get another word in.

"This is just all too cute. I mean, Lily, just look at him. He's all red in the face!" And sure enough he was, but he looked more so cross than bashful. My gratefulness for her appearing quickly faded as it was getting worse with her pressing issues that _really _did not need to be pressed.

"Marlene, you are in your nightgown. Please, think of James. He's probably red from all the modesty." Oh how I prayed to every God for her to take my hint.

I was so completely desperate for her to leave.

"Oh, come off it, Lil, it's James Potter. I've been around him plenty of times because I dated his little fuck of a friend, whom I must say, is quite the prat." Ah, it looked like she was getting comfortable. When it came to times like this, I didn't really know what to do. While I did agree that Sirius Black could be quite the prat, the way Marlene expressed her…well…_feelings_…about the whole break up was just plain horrifying. I didn't know if it was because he was her first serious boyfriend or she was not used to rejection.

Either way, it was just painful to watch.

"Would you mind not soiling my best mate's name? Honestly, just fucking move on. If you can't, then at least present yourself with some dignity." Leaning against the couch, James glared at Marlene, who shared the same dirty look.

"Fuck you, Potter," With that, she turned on her heel and started to go up the stairs, but she paused and called over her shoulder "I'll be in our room, Lily."

"Okay Marlene. I'll be up there in a minute." I said this as I looked at James, feeling flustered by all of the events of that night.

Surprisingly, he was a gentleman about it for most of it—except that tidbit with Marlene.

"I don't think it's a good idea to antagonize Marlene right now. Her mother is at 's and well, I think she's projecting a lot of that grief onto Sirius. Her family has been targeted, you know, and well her mum…" I drifted off, my voice fading out.

What had happened to Marlene's mother, made me think of my own family.

"I understand, Lily. It's a really stressful time for everyone though, not just Marlene. I just wish she would keep that in mind. My own family is branded as blood traitors and you—well, you're a Muggleborn. We all have to keep in mind about everyone's troubles right now. I can't even get started on Sirius's right now, but this whole thing with Marlene has really taken its toll on things for him." Again, this man was full of surprises and it was a lot easier to talk to him because of that.

"He seems to be having a swell old time with that Katherine girl." Even though I had meant to frown, I ended up smiling at the memory of Avery havering all over himself.

Of course, that wasn't really _her _doing. She just acted as a willing pawn. Honestly, I didn't know of my feelings about her except that she made me feel uncomfortable.

"While that is true—and I do agree there seems to be more than they let on—Sirius swears that it is strictly platonic, so for now, I'll take his word on it. I think he really does fancy her though; he's just too dense to realize it. She's a good match for him, what with her not taking herself seriously too much. Marlene isn't bad, Lily, I hope you know I don't hate her. Those two were just _terrible_ for each other. " He scratched his head as he looked over his shoulder towards his own dormitory.

"Oh, fine, you're right," I paused, shuffling my feet a bit "Thank you for the help on the essay."

"I didn't mind at all. You helped me more, anyways. Say, if you don't have any specific plans for Hogsmea…"

"Goodnight, James." I pretended I didn't hear the last bit and made a speed walk towards the stairs. I couldn't bring myself to look him in the face because I felt so flushed in the face, which was ridiculous.

Just because he was objectively good-looking, him being somewhat decent did _not_ suddenly change everything.

He was still an arrogant prat, and that couldn't go away overnight.

* * *

"And then she started yelling about making babies with him! Can you _believe _the audacity?"

"Marlene, I don't think she was serious…" Oh, I couldn't even finish my sentence because Marlene was already on another tangent.

"I mean what does he see in her? The only think she's got going for her is maybe her hair—it is pretty, I'll give her that. But all of my assets," Marlene pointed at her bum and motioned to her breasts "They are much larger than hers."

"James told me that they're just friends. I really wouldn't…" Ah, again, my thought was cut off.

"Of course Sirius would say that! He just wants to save some face! I've never seen him pine for someone so badly! I just hate him, Lily. I hate her too, even if I don't know her and that makes me feel guilty. It's not her fault, I just…"

"Marlene," It was my turn to interrupt "You're entitled to feel angry because Sirius does not know how to end a relationship for his life. It's also good that you realize that it isn't that Katherine girl's fault because they never even knew of each other until you two broke up. Even if Sirius was having a rebound with her—which I don't think is the case—I really don't think she would act on it. That girl, Katherine, well, she doesn't seem to be that serious about things." The atmosphere grew calm in our room as Marlene turned slightly and started flipping pages of the latest _Witch Weekly._

Perhaps I could finally rework my thesis like James had suggested.

"She could still shag him." Oh for Merlin's sake, this woman was impossible!

"You could shag anyone too, Marlene! Tomorrow morning, you could go up to Amos Diggory and snog with him on the spot. If Sirius is getting a taste of biscuit—_because you're so convinced he is—_then take give someone a bit of your own biscuit!" My essay flew up in pages because I was so bloody frustrated with the girl.

"Oh my, Lily Evans. Quite the mouth you have tonight." And of course, Dorcas had to enter the room right at that moment.

"How was practice, Dorcas? Sirius actually had the audacity to show up in the Common Room with his new whore." I was done with trying to talk sense with Marlene if she continued to spout bitterness every time she spoke.

"At least someone out of all of these dorms is getting bedded tonight. Fifty points for Gryffindor!" Throwing her sweaty shirt onto her bed, Dorcas wildly swung onto the bunk bed and punched the air a few times, celebrating an apparent victory.

"Dory…why would you joke about that?" And now it was time for hormones to start working their charms on Marlene once more. Her glassy eyes started to fill up, and I couldn't bear to have her cry for the third time that night. I had to think quickly.

"Oh, Marley, I was just being an insensitive bitch. I'm so sorry. It is just that Andrew wouldn't let me into his knickers tonight. You ever hear of a guy being a prude? Well, Andrew's a good model for one…oooh, is that a new issue of _Witch Weekly_?" Dorcas meant well most of the time, but her blunt nature often caused friction in our dorm.

"No, i-it's fine…" Her lip trembled a bit, as she looked away, her eyes getting puffier by the minute.

"Marley, baby, look at me, darling…" I don't know what irked me more: Marlene's sobbing or Dorcas's soppy cooing.

"I think I might go to Hogsmeade with James." Oh, hell, did I just say that aloud?

I must have because the room went dead silent almost immediately.

"You're kidding." I shook my head at Dorcas, who in return, let out a shriek of excitement.

"No! NO! Oh sweet Merlin, this is _amazing_! I knew this was coming, but not this soon! I thought maybe like ten years from now you two would try but yes, this is great! Marlene! Lily's going to shag Potter into oblivion!" She swung down from her bed and ran up to me, enveloping me into a hug while Marlene giggled a little bit between sniffles.

"It's not a date." The two of them stopped for a moment, Dorcas lifted an eyebrow while Marlene blinked a few times.

"It's not a date," I repeated myself again, hoping they would understand "He doesn't even know we're going yet. I just think we could look over essays at the Broomsticks or something simple like that. I was a complete arse to him earlier this evening and I really feel bad about it. He's wanted to go to Hogsmeade together so I'll humor him. But's it _not _a date."

"Sounds like a bloody date to me. Oh, we're going to do your make up that day. When is the next Hogsmeade trip?" Dorcas got up and went over to the makeshift vanity we all shared, trying to find a calendar of some sort.

"It's this coming Saturday." Marlene's voice grew soft, probably unsure of what to do in Hogsmeade since Sirius wouldn't be with her.

"Hm, only two days from now. So, Lily," My face grew into a blank expression as Dorcas slid next to me on my bed "Since this isn't a date…can we come with?"

"What? Why? It won't be that interesting…"

"Blimey! You think this wouldn't be interesting, Evans? This is the event all of Gryffindor has been waiting for! Besides, Andrew made plans with his brother to meet up with family that day, and I'm not ready to meet his parents. Marlene could come too!" Before I could say anything, the door opened gently, revealing Mary with a pile of books she checked out from the library.

"Doing some light reading?" A frown settled on Mary's face in reply to Dorcas's 'clever' remark.

"Ha ha. Henry and I were in the library, doing some heavy studying for N.E.W.T.s. Goodness, he was in such a nasty mood. It basically just ended up with the two of us reading in silence." With a huff, Mary dumped her books on bed, which was directly underneath Dorcas's bed.

"Well I don't blame him. His two so-called friends irritate the living hell out of me. Did his eye ever go down? That's probably why the little wanker was so fucking upset. Black threw a few stinging hexes at him, didn't he?" I really had to take Dorcas aside and tell her to stop mentioning Sirius in front of Marlene. Thankfully, before Marlene could interject, Mary spoke in return.

"No, he went to Madame Pomfrey's and had that taken care of. His eyes are fine now. And Alden and Katherine weren't around tonight—well, Alden ended up joining us later but he's pretty reserved when Katherine isn't around. He just lets out a couple of wise remarks every now and then. I think Henry was expecting Katherine to come in. They got into an argument, which led to her screaming about offspring and calling him names. This happened in _our _common room, Dorcas." Starting to undress, Mary went over to her chest and started pulling out a nightgown.

"How the hell did she get into the Common Room?" Inquires started coming from Dorcas while I turned and started to pick up my essay. I really wasn't in the mood for everyone to start talking horrible things about that Katherine girl.

"Sirius let her in." Surprisingly, Marlene spoke up in a calm tone, but the bitterness was still evident.

"What for?" Moving further back on my bed, Dorcas held her legs to her chest as she leaned her back against the wall.

"Have you just been constantly shagging Andrew underneath a rock? Sirius and…and _that girl _have been all over each other for the last two weeks." And now the puffy eyes began to water up again. Was I a terrible friend for getting sick of this nonsense?

"That bastard! I'll rip those little bollocks off of him! I thought the whole 'whore' thing was just Marlene exaggerating. To think he was a complete prat during practice tonight. I thought he was just sullen from breaking up with you. Oh, this really gets my knickers in a bunch, alright!" Even though I often appreciated Dorcas's energy, I had a hard time then feeling the same appreciation, since she kept bouncing on my bed.

In all honesty, I just wanted to sleep on the said bed.

"I don't think they're dating, Marlene. Henry would have said something about it, seeing how he's really worried about the two of them spending time together. Even though he doesn't get along the greatest with his friends, he really does care for them." Mary sat next to Marlene and started to brush her hair.

Maybe if I started to get underneath my blankets, Dorcas would get the message.

"Oi, Lily, stop squirming so much." I ignored her protests as I burrowed into my blankets, smelling the fresh scent of laundry. That was probably the best part of my entire day: having clean sheets.

"Let's stop talking about this wanker Black and get to the serious, grotty details of Mary's sex life. Did you let Henry show you his little banana yet?" Gasps came both of the girls across the room, and all of three of them exploded into giggles.

If only they would explode into snores.

"Don't ask Mary such dirty questions, Dory. She might want to keep that private because Lord knows no one else here does." Great, the last image before I went to sleep was going to be of Marlene and Sirius shagging like animals.

"Well…you see…we kind of…in the shorter terms, yes." As each second passed by, Mary's face grew more and more crimson while Dorcas let out a roar of exhilaration.

"FIFTY POINTS FOR GRYFFINDOR!"

It really looked like I was not going to sleep that night.

* * *

_**Sirius**_

"This little tunnel is really fucking creepy." I looked back at Katherine, whose pale skin was illuminated by her wand.

It really made her look really fucking creepy.

I tried to hold back a laugh, but all sorts of awkward snorts left me.

"What are you chortling about?" Oh, I couldn't take her face in that kind of light. She looked like fucking Nearly Headless Nick or the Grey Lady.

"The light flatters your complexion a lot." Katherine's response was to kick me behind the knee, which made me fall.

"Fuck!" My shin hit the cobblestone ground while Katherine ran further up, shrieking in laughter.

"Shit, I think I'm already lost!" She screamed this back at me, laughing all the more.

Normally, I would have been angry if some loony girl tripped me, but I found myself laughing too.

"You only ran five feet away!" Quickly, I got back on my feet and ran to catch up with her.

"I don't like tunnels. They make me act all batty."

"I don't know about that. You're more subdued now than usual. Is that what insanity is for you? To act somewhat normal?" Without thinking, I grabbed her hand so she wouldn't wander away like some bratty child.

It took me a moment to realize what I did, and I immediately felt sheepish.

"I suppose. It's just that school is so boring now that Henry has no time for his old friends and Aldie is more concerned about getting girls into his bed than play a good game of Wizards Chess with me. I guess I act out to get their attention." It was the way she took my hand so casually that made a shiver crawl up my spine.

Maybe I had dated prudes before, but could a girl really be so casual about physical contact?

"Is that really true?" I shifted my wand away from face, because I wasn't sure if I was blushing like some first year.

"For fuck's sake, no. I've always been like this. I'm just not conventional." We both laughed for a while over nothing until we reached the end of the tunnel.

"Well, here we are." I took out the Invisibility Cloak and pulled the both of us underneath it.

"If you're taking me to the Shrieking Shack, I'll tell everyone you impregnated me with twins."

"Better make it triplets to spice things up." She laughed while I pushed the cellar door open, revealing Honeydukes. I quickly pulled myself out and held out my hands for her. Pulling her up was astonishingly easy, her being much lighter than I expected.

"Where are we?" She walked around the place, pointing her wand in various directions until she caught a sight of the sugar quills.

"Honeydukes!" Her gasp was soft as she smiled gently, something that seemed unusual for her.

I guess candy was her weakness.

"Technically, we're in the basement of Honeydukes. They leave a lot of goods down here though." I watched her go through the box of sugar quills but she started to hesitate.

"We can't just steal from them. That would be wrong." This woman always managed to surprise me. It never came to me that she would care if she were stealing.

"Well, I'll leave this galleon here then. It should cover the costs if we have the decency not to overindulge." She beamed at me while I started to look for a place where the galleon could easily be found.

"I'll take five sugar quills then…"

"Grab the deluxe ones. They're in the back of the box. They're new and they last longer than normal sugar quills." Oooh's and aaaah's were the responses from Katherine.

I decided to just drop the galleon square middle on the floor, figuring it would be easily found that way.

"Now, go on about what you were saying before we went into that little tunnel." Flipping over an empty crate, I stared hard at Katherine while I proceeded to sit on it.

"What now? I don't even remember." She was going through a box of Cauldron Cakes now, with a sugar quill hanging out of the corner of her mouth.

"It was about being open with a girl you're dating."

"Oh! Well, were you in love Lulu?"

"You know that's not her name, you little twit." A little giggle came from her as she piled little cakes into her arms. If I had I known candy had made her this giddy, I would have done this much sooner…well, I mean we've only known each for about two weeks.

It felt much longer than that.

"So were you? Because if you're supposedly in love, then your heart should be just as vulnerable as theirs." Custard was stuck on the corner of her mouth, and more of it oozed out of the cake as she bit into it.

"No. I wasn't. I liked her a lot and even said I loved her, but it was just infatuation, I suppose. I felt pressured to tell I loved her since she'd _constantly _say it, especially after we lost our virginity—er, could you keep quiet about that? It's kind of private. Sorry if I made things awkward."

"Goodness, Black. I'm not a prude. You can talk about penises and vaginas. I won't give a damn." Her monstrous appetite now diminished her pile of cakes and she sat on the floor, seemingly content.

"Well, most girls just get very uptight if I even mention the word _virgin_, as if I'm searching for all of the virgins I could defile." I hunched forward a bit as I thought about all of the times I had been accused of being some lecherous pervert while sex usually wasn't the first thing on my mind.

"That's because you're the Virgin Hound. You prey on virgins so you can keep your youth." Now Katherine was completely sprawled on the ground with all of the sugar quills in her mouth.

"Which is precisely why I brought you the basement of Honeydukes. I have to fatten you up before I devour you."

"Ahah, yeah. I guess so." Her tone grew softer and less excited at that remark I made. Oh, Merlin, she probably thought I was making a pass at her.

Fuck, I was joking and I made an idiotic statement like that without thinking.

"I wasn't trying to come onto you or anything…"

"No, no! Oh, dear heavens, no," Her body flew up from the ground while she waved her arms about "I would never dream of you doing that. It's just, you know, this one has already been defiled." Her smile was sheepish and almost ashamed while I nodded, trying not to feel awkward.

"Well, I can speak for the both of us when I say that tearing up our Virgin Members card was the hardest thing to do." Luckily, I got a laugh out of her and the tension eased a bit.

"Say, here's a crazy suggestion." Changing the subject was the only thing I could think of to fully avoid any more awkward conversations.

"Go on." Katherine's smile was mischievous, most likely expecting something outrageous.

"We should spend the Hogsmeade trip together. I mean I think we're friends by this point, right?" Her eyes went wide for a moment as a huge grin grew on her mouth, which made me like her all the more.

She was just a pleasant person to be around.

"Yes! I could use a new friend! My current ones are shitty, and you, well, you're not so bad! I mean Alden is lovely but he's too concerned with little Aldie to have fun. I was dreading following Henry and his girlfriend around while they looked at clothing but now I can have my own fun! We should…" She trailed off as she put her fingers on her chin, thinking hard about something.

"We should…?" I encouraged her to continue.

"We should…we should make snow angels and…and…I don't fucking know. I'm boring." A heavy sigh came out of her. She was now sprawled once more on the ground, not really giving a damn about the dirty floor.

"Believe me. You are far from boring." Even though I was sincere, a snort of disbelief was her only reply.

"No, I'm serious. You're really bloody interesting." I got off the crate and moved closer towards her, trying to read her expression.

"Just because I say barmy things doesn't mean I'm some cultured woman who has done a lot of interesting things. I don't even have any hobbies. I do nothing all day!" Her arms went up in the air with her exclamation, as if she was reaching for something.

"Surely you do something. You just don't sit around." I nudged her with my foot for a response, but she lay still for a moment.

"I…I," Her head lifted up as she gazed at me "I do homework a lot. I'm not like Lily Evans talented or any of you guys, really. I just finish my homework early, which fills up some time. I don't think homework is a hobby."

"What about reading?" What was I saying?

I didn't fucking read all that much.

"Not so much after I started O.W.L.s. Classes get so text heavy after that. Reading itself just isn't that pleasurable anymore." My sentiment exactly.

This girl knew what she was talking about.

"Well, let's find a hobby together. I don't do much besides fuck around with prats like Snape or Avery." Images of Snape heaving his breakfast all over the Great Hall brought a smile to my face.

"It can be any hobby?" Her voice sounded suspicious, so I agreed to ease her down a bit.

"Yeah, any hobby. I won't refuse." She sat up as I said this, and that shit-eating grin stretched her face.

"What if I was to say that I always wanted to knit? Does knitting fit into the list of potential hobbies?"

"_Especially _knitting." We both laughed as she stood up and walked towards the tunnel entrance.

"Then we'll buy some yarn at Hogsmeade." Warm, brown eyes met my gaze briefly until they disappeared into the tunnel.

"I take it that we're leaving?" I called out towards her, but all I got was silence in return.

Stubborn like a fat mule; I kind of liked her impossible nature, even if it was a pain in the arse.

I quickly went into the tunnel and lit up my wand, only to see she was already halfway down the passageway. Catching up to her wasn't all too hard, mainly because I had long legs.

"You're very strong-willed." My observation was met with a snort, and nothing more.

So, we walked in a comfortable silence for the next five minutes. It was almost like our conversation was silent, filled with laments of being tired of school, of people, and of Henry Kirk.

It was quite nice. I didn't feel the need to constantly tell her that she looked nice or compliment her shoes, because she _simply didn't crave attention_.

It's mad to say that she didn't crave attention because she could be so obnoxious, but it's more like she just didn't know any better than to say what was on her mind.

As we started to crawl out of the passage, I began to wish that I had met Katherine sooner. If we had met, say third year, then by now we would have so many odd adventures.

It was seemed a little foolish that it had only been two weeks, but she seemed like to have such a good potential to be a lovely friend.

She was the only girl I've ever felt comfortable talking about my winkle with anyhow.

"Where's your enchanted handkerchief?"

"Stay still for a moment and I'll put it over the both of us…"

"Nasty little brats! I know you're around!" Well, looked like Filch never bothered to sleep much at all. I pulled Katherine underneath the cloak and we huddled together for the next few minutes. As casual as the whole night had been, it got very awkward for me right then and there.

Footsteps of what sounded like first years ran around the corner while giggling commenced.

"Sirius you smell…you smell like a forest…!" What in the bloody hell was she on about now? It wasn't the time for…

Did she just sniff my head?

"Just like it! Well, not a true forest but the type that are in air fresheners and perfume. Are you wearing," She took another big sniff, causing the hairs on my neck to stand "Any cologne?"

"N-no. Would you stop sniffing me?" I started to loosen my tie as my throat felt tight.

Even though it's something a prudish old woman would feel, I had some issue about personal space in small, enclosed spaces.

It was so suffocating that it was maddening.

"Hmm, must have been because you were out on the Pitch tonight. I always end up just smelling like dirt after practice though. Lucky bastard, you get to smell like air freshener. Is the coast clear?'

"I, uh, I think so." Her face was very close to my neck, which felt very exposing. Part of me wanted to erupt in shrieks of laughter—but not the good laughter.

It's the type of laughter you get when you're at your Nan's funeral when you see her dead, withered body.

Not that I would know on a personal account because I probably would have laughed of joy at my own grandmother's funeral.

"What if I collected your sweat and sold it as a perfume? Would that be too creepy?"

"Well, if I got to collect your piss and sell it as a never-aging potion, I'd say we'd be even." She looked back at me as I said this, that toothy grin of hers growing wider by the minute.

"That's disgusting." She didn't look disgusted though; she looked pretty amused to me.

"That—out all of the things that come out of _your _mouth—is disgusting to you? I'm just returning the favor, love." Sensing that Filch was gone, I threw the cloak off of us and adjusted myself away from her.

"Is that so, love? Love, you seem a little tense, my lovely." Now that we were standing, she stood on her tiptoes as she tried to smell my neck. She was doing this on purpose to fuck with me because she just _somehow _knew it bothered me.

Not to mention that she completely mocking me while doing so as well.

"Stoooop." My protest came out as this whiney groan, which made her cackle like how I imagined Filch's mother did—you know, instead of lullabies, she would just howl in evil laughter.

That's the only way I imagined how he got so fucked up anyways.

"You're even better than Kirk! I do the same thing to him, and he gets completely restless and fidgets all over the place." Finally, she pulled away after getting a reaction out of me.

"Normally, I would be acting this way with a girl." I thought aloud, which caused her to give me that stupid grin.

"I just don't get really flustered, I suppose." This statement made me a skeptic.

"Not even," I closed in on her, gently trapping her against the wall "If I leaned in like this? This is almost every girl's fantasy, you know. Some dumb bloke pinning her against the wall."

"Yes. It's official. You made me so excited that I peed my pants." I couldn't help but crack a smile at this, but before I could say anything, she leaned in very close towards my face.

"I hope you don't mind the smell of urine, Black." Her smile now was very calm and collected. Quickly, she ducked underneath my arm and started walking away from me, leaving me dumbfounded.

She just had to be so bloody dramatic.

"Oi, you little bint!" She looked back at me as I called out towards her.

"What?" Her hand rested on her hip as she nodded her head to keep walking.

"You're going the wrong way." Now it was my turn to turn around and start walking away like some cool bastard.

It didn't take her long to catch up to me, and she started going on about Merlin knows what.

Honestly, I wasn't paying attention too much then.

Instead, I was growing increasingly flustered at how easy it was to talk to Katherine. For some reason, it made me a little uncomfortable.

"Well, I guess this is it." She looked up at me as I snapped out of my thoughts. From the portrait of the pear over us, I could see that we were close to her common room.

"I suppose so." My reply came out sheepish and I immediately wanted to kick myself. Her expression changed and I could tell she was starting to feel self-conscious.

Oh, fuck it all.

"Well, thank you for everything. Good night, uh, Sirius." She started to turn towards the stack of barrels but I grabbed her elbow without thinking.

"Hey, you know, I was serious about the Hogsmeade trip. Not like a date but I enjoy your company, Katherine." Her arm was surprisingly warm, especially since we had just spent a good amount of time in a frigid cellar.

"Well then," That gentle smile crept up on her mouth again "It's not a date. Goodnight, Sirius."

We stood there, smiling like idiots for a full five seconds probably because we didn't know who should leave first.

It dawned on me that she probably didn't want me to be around for her common room password, so I left with another quick goodbye.

"See you at the Common Hall tomorrow!" My whisper was harsh and was met with no response as I quickly hurried off to the Gryffindor Tower.

I never knew that an evening could be so pleasant. Especially, if said evening was spent with a barmy Hufflepuff who was fixated on talking about urine.

It was just different to actually feel at peace for once—but it was a good different.

It was definitely something I could get used to.

* * *

_**Katherine**_

Oh, what an absolutely splendid evening! I got all the sugar quills I wanted and I think I actually became friends with Sirius Black!

And it turned out that he was an actual fun friend to be around!

Who would have thought what with all of his sulkiness and snarky remarks!

It was just a grand evening, and there was food involved—which was always a plus—and oh, so much gossiping. We were like two old women talking about what whores our granddaughters had turned out to be. It was so delightful! I would have…

"Finally. Do you have any idea what time it is?" Bloody fucking hell.

"No, Kirk, I don't have a watch. I'm sorry that I can't give you the fucking time. Sorry you waited up this long for nothing." I tried to move past where Henry was lounging, but a bloody plant hissed at me and completely ruined my attempt at a dramatic exit.

"Why didn't you just go up to the Astronomy Tower like I told you? I wasn't going to take long, I was just going to say goodnight to Mary and …"

"Because I didn't want to, Henry! I just didn't want to. Is that so wrong?" He sat up from the sofa and looked at me, not giving me much of response. Maybe it was his cue for me to go.

If so, I could go with that.

Didn't want to talk with the fucking cad anyways.

"Well, since I gave you my reason, I'll be off…"

"Don't give me that shit, Kitty. You're off shagging Black. You pretty much said, no, _screamed _it yourself in the fucking Gryffindor Common Room." His face was different from usual, which scared me because I knew he was being serious.

I had to get out of there quickly.

"Can we talk about this another time? I'm tired. You're tired. We both did a lot of screaming at each other today. If you just let me go to bed right now, I'll just forget everything and act like nothing happened…"

"Oh, that is rich! You'll just forget _everything _will you? That is a load of shit, Katherine. Why him, of all people in this whole entire school? Why Sirius fucking Black? He's absolute scum, Kitty." His face grew softer as he stood up, stepping closer to me.

"Oh, fuck off! You're the absolute scum, and you know it. I'm tired of whatever the fuck we have. I don't want it anymore. I'm done, Henry." Before I could leave, Henry was already in front of me, getting angrier as each moment passed by.

"I'm scum? You're just as bad, Katherine. Why stop now of all times? Why now? Because now you've taken a fancy to Black because he wooed you with his beautiful hair and shitty home life sob story. I know you have some faults but I never thought shallowness would be one of them."

"It would be shallow of me to ignore Sirius because of stupid rumors! It would be shallow of me to be friends with him because of stupid rumors! I'm not a good a person, you don't have to tell me that, but I know I'm doing something right for once. Henry, he's really seems so genuine and talking to him comes easily. It's just a fun thing for the two of us. Talking with him, however, made me see how a fucked up relationship can be like. I don't want to do that to you and Mary. I hate Mary—yes, I admit it freely, but…"

"You hate Mary?" Was that the only thing he understood of what I've just said? Fucking bollocks.

"Well, I dunno. Yes? More like of what she represents. She represents what an absolute cad you've been. That's probably why I don't like her." My eyes met the ground. I suddenly couldn't look him in the eye.

"Just what is wrong with me? Why don't you like me anymore, Kitty?" He started stroking my hair, tucking it behind my ear while I just froze like a fucking imbecile.

"Henry, stop. Please, I'm begging you. You know very well…"

"But I don't! Because you never say anything! You've never said anything up until now. When I started dating Mary, you just smiled and sat there. When I kissed you for the first time, you just smiled and sat there. When I fucked you for the first time, you just smiled and sat there! I don't know what you're feeling." One of the plants on the coffee table was hissing a lot more now as Henry neared in on me.

"That's because you're as thick as Avery. I don't want to do anything with you anymore. It makes me so sick that I just can't stand it. I think we should spend some time apart. Not in public because Merlin knows you just shit on me as much as you can then, but privately. I won't see you unless Alden or your little girlfriend is there. No more…"

His lips engulfed mine into the sloppiest kiss I ever had. His tongue was darting everywhere, forcing itself in my mouth as he pushed me down into a nearby recliner. Fervently, my hands pushed against his chest as I started kicking my feet about. This resulted in the recliner popping out the leg rest and Henry pushing all of his weight forward.

The chair tipped back on the ground with a soft thud, most of the impact hidden by the soft carpet. Just as I was about to bite his tongue, he pulled away and started kissing my neck. My eyes frantically scanned the room, trying to see if anyone had come into the Common Room.

"Henry…! Get off of me. I'm not joking. What are…stop sucking on my neck, you bastard!" My knee managed to free itself and I knocked it full force into his stomach.

Immediately, he let out an _oof! _and fell back, clutching his stomach.

"I thought you hit your lowest point ages ago, but I stand corrected. For right now, I don't want anything to do with you." And that was how I made my dramatic exit.

Though I didn't think I would spend the whole night crying in bed as I tried to wipe the taste of shit off my tongue with blankets would come with my dramatic exit.

For me, too, it was probably one of my lower points.

* * *

_**Lily**_

"Lily? Are you all right?" I quickly looked up at James, who had been talking to me throughout the whole course of breakfast. I had tried to keep up with his energy, but I was too exhausted to keep going.

"No, I'm not. You will never know how it feels to live with three other girls. It's a terrible thing, really." Even though I thought I came off as a bitter bitch, James chuckled a bit and gave me that weird smile again.

It was just too bloody happy and was not smug at all.

I couldn't understand it.

"Sirius and Remus often get in rows like girls do. Last week, Sirius spilled some Daisyroot Draught all over Remus's Transfiguration homework which ensued into a screaming match until Remus punched Sirius across the face." This caused me to look over at the two of them. Both of them were talking and laughing, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"If that had happened in my dorm, the room would be full of ice for the next two months." Again, James found me humorous and started to laugh, which caused all sorts of conflicting feelings inside.

Was he just laughing because he fancied me or was I genuinely pleasant to talk to?

"I guess most of us guys are too impatient to fight. We just have a few punches and kicks, and then we're good." I found myself smiling against my will. If only James could act like this all the time, then maybe…

"Say Lily, uh…about the next Hogsmeade trip…" Oh, he just reverted back to asking me out.

Part of it really bothered me but I was also curious.

"Yes, I was thinking that maybe we could do some more essay revising at say the Three Broomsticks?" I think what I had just said shocked the both of us because neither of us spoke for the next moment.

"Y-yes! That sounds bloody fantastic! I mean…I mean it sounds great! I just, I just…oh, wow." He quickly became flustered as a blush started to grow on his face. I couldn't bring myself to look at him directly.

"It's just that," I paused while trying to gather my thoughts "Your advice really was good and you seem to know a lot about Transfiguration. That's what I need help on, by the way. I could help you with Potions, if you needed it." Now my own face was heating up. I really just wanted to die right there.

Why did this have to be so embarrassing?

"Good morning Lily, James." Both of us looked towards Henry, who sat diagonally from me, while Mary took the seat next to him.

"Morning." Her greeting was a bit more reserved, and then I noticed something was off between the two of them.

They weren't touching each other at all. In fact, Henry was just staring at his plate and mindlessly poking at food.

"Hullo." James was polite enough to respond back while I just nodded.

Our greetings were very bland and I think it's because neither one of us is really fond of Henry. Well, there, I admitted it. I just think that Kirk could be very obnoxious and arrogant without having much to show for. And the way he normally hung onto Mary, it was just pathetic.

"Mary tells me that you girls were up all night. Some sort of slumber party, I take it?" His goblet filled with orange juice while Mary looked down, clearly embarrassed.

Oh gross, now I had to imagine the two of them fucking like wild animals.

When would it ever stop?

"Well, if that's the case, then every night is a slumber party." I found myself looking towards James, who grinned in return. His body movements had seemingly gotten more grandeur in the past few minutes after we agreed on the Hogsmeade trip.

"Oh, that's nice." How odd. Normally Henry would have laughed obnoxiously while petting Mary like some damn dog. I suppose everyone has a bad morning every now and then.

"Oi! Katherine! Over here!" With a mouth full of food, Sirius called out to Katherine Wright, who seemed to be in good spirits as usual.

She quickly came over and sat in between James and Sirius, so now she was at my other diagonal angle.

"Hey, I had fun last night." And the two of them immediately became immersed in their own strange world.

It was odd, but kind of fascinating to watch.

"Did you? Turns out I'm not some boring bloke after all. So about the trip tomorrow, I was thinking that we could head out to Zonko's, and then…say, what's that on your neck?" Sirius pointed towards a bruise on Katherine's neck, and my word.

It was a hickey.

Did those two really…?

"Oh, this? Well, Sprout likes to decorate our common room with plants. She had just put in a new plant yesterday, and it looked so cute! You see, I'm not very good in Herbology, so I started touching it, and it reached out and nearly bit a chunk of my neck off! It was nasty little bugger. Like where does a plant get off thinking it's the alpha of my common room? Next time, I'll bite its little head off." The two of them laughed while I almost felt disappointed.

I mean it's good that they're not doing anything but I just hate being wrong about something that seems so obvious!

Then again, if it kept Marlene at bay, maybe it was for the best.

"Maybe you should see Poppy for the bite. Looks kind of nasty." Now James was peering over her shoulder, gently inspecting the bruise.

For some reason, that irritated me a bit—and then the fact that it irritated me made all the more irritable.

"Oh, I did. I thought that it had such a _nasty_, slimy mouth that I should get it looked at. She said it was nothing to worry about." Relief washed through me as James pulled away and looked back at me.

It was stupid for me to get…jealous.

Jealousy, oh wow. I never thought I'd be able to experience that with James Potter.

Oh god, what does this say about me? That I'm just some frivolous girl? If Potter isn't paying any attention to me then I decide I want his attention? I started to slump in my seat as my face met the table.

"Lily, are you alright?" A tentative hand prodded me slightly, which caused a jolt to run down my nerves.

"Glorious. I'm just glorious." I suppose I was going to have more a pity-party for God even knew what, but it was then when Henry decided to throw a temper tantrum.

"I'm fine, Mary! Would you just shut your fucking mouth for one moment!"

"Henry, I've only asked you twice and you're so on edge…"

"Just let me breathe!" He started to get up, but Mary tugged on his robes for him to sit down again, to which he complied.

The fragile peace, however, did not last long as his head started to grow at an alarming rate.

"Henry…"

"_What, Mary?_" His tone was nearly seething with pure fire itself.

"Y-your head…" Immediately, his hands went to his head and panic went through his eyes.

It had grown too heavy and his face landed first into the table.

"Fuck!" He slammed his goblet down as he dashed away from the table, holding his head and most likely headed to the Infirmary.

The rest of us sat there as if we had been confunded.

"Oh my bloody God! Ahaha, oh shit! Oh, that is priceless!" The silence was broken by Sirius, who was doubled over in laughter at probably one of the most inappropriate times I could think of.

"James! _Why would you_…"

"Lily, it wasn't me. I wish it was, because it was bloody hysterical but it wasn't." Now James was chuckling while Sirius was howling like a beast, banging his fist on the table.

"Sirius, I am trying to finish my essay, would you please stop?" It looked as though Remus's patience was wearing thin since he just spilled ink all over his fresh new parchment paper.

"Moony! Did you see that? It was unbelievable! The little prick finally got an appropriate head size! And then, and then…and then it went _thunk_ against the table! Hold on, I can show it to you." With that, Sirius started to pretend to hit his head against the table, which caused people nearby to start laughing with him.

I looked at Mary, who was absolutely mortified.

"I'm going to take Henry's stuff to him…I'll see you in Potions, okay?"

"Mary…" I started to plead, but she already scurried off, her face growing redder by the minute.

"Katherine, your friend has literally the biggest ego I know now. Now which one of you did this? I want to hug you sincerely and quite possibly propose marriage." Now that he was done hooting with laughter, he wanted to congratulate whoever made this horrible…

Okay, so it wasn't horrible. It was mildly amusing up until I saw Mary's face.

That's when the guilt started kicking in.

"Katherine, are you not the least bit amused?" Nudging with her his arm, Sirius focused on her solely for that moment.

He was completely a _boy _with how he wanted her approval. Goodness, he was so bloody oblivious to his little crush that it made want to throw up all over his smug face.

"Oh, I am but I'm not surprised. It was something he deserved, all right." She was smiling but she seemed more reserved than I expected her to be, especially since she loved to tease Henry all the time.

"I guess, I mean he is your best friend, right? So, you don't want to betray him?" I found myself now speaking to her directly for the first time.

"No, he's kind of a poor friend, to be blunt. I'm just not surprised…" She looked down as she drifted off, which caused Sirius to bend down and look up at her face.

"Oh, how rich! You sneaky little harlot! Trying to be modest, but I can see through you!" Quickly, he became excited again as Katherine stood up from the table, wearing a humongous grin on her face.

"No idea what you're on about, Black!" Her voice came out rather sing-songish as she started to walk away, only to have Sirius follow her.

"Wait up! You're going to have to bear my children so we can have little geniuses!" He called out towards her and caught up with her pretty fast.

Just as they exited the Great Hall together, Marlene entered with a furious look on her face.

When was I ever going to get a break?

"James, can you be charming and distract Marlene about those two? I thought you said they weren't dating!" My voice came out hushed and frantic as Marlene started to walk towards us.

"Well, you see," He leaned over the table and started to whisper "I thought so too—and I still think so—if that makes sense but Sirius came back wee early in the morning with this stupid smile on his face. I think it's nice since he hasn't been so happy in a long time, but he's such a thick git sometimes…oh hello, Marlene!" Both of us faced Marlene, who looked less than thrilled.

"What was that all about?" She nodded towards the Great Hall entrance.

"Dunno. Kirk threw a hissy fit and stormed out because someone casted an engorgement hex on his head. I guess they found it funny." Inspecting his fingernails, James tried to play off the whole thing by acting nonchalant as if nothing exciting had ever happened.

"I'm pretty sure that _someone_ was Katherine Wright. James, shouldn't we do something about it?" He looked up at me with that stupid smile that made me feel all funny.

"Sirius just accused her, we don't have any actual proof. That wouldn't be fair." He started to lean back as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"I just…ugh, I don't want Kirk talking about it for the next five months is all." Surprisingly, James found this statement as hilarious as Sirius found Henry's head.

"Of course there would be an ulterior motive when it pertains to Kirk! Oh, Lily, you're so charmingly refreshing. Could I perhaps walk with you to Potions?"

Feeing hesitant, I looked around at my options before I answered him. There was Marlene, who probably would either sulk or talk up a storm about more stupid things Sirius did. There was also Remus but he seemed too fixated on his essay that he would leave at the last second. Pettigrew was nowhere in sight, but I don't think I'd take him over James.

Finally, I looked back at James, who had a very sincere air to him. It was nice because it just seemed different. His hazel eyes were nearly sparkling at me behind those crooked glasses of his. Even with that dumb smile, I found him rather appealing in that light.

He was being different, so maybe I could be different as well.

"Well, I don't see why you couldn't. I'll be leaving now pretty much." I quickly got up and moved away from the table to which he followed suit.

"You want me to carry your bag?" Our shoes squeaked slightly against the newly polished floors.

"How about you carry me while you're at it? I'm joking, please don't take me up on that offer. Chivalry is dead, so let it rest in peace." Both of us awkwardly chuckled because we weren't used to this.

This whole being civil with James Potter thing, it was odd.

But it didn't mean I hated it.

* * *

**Hoooooly shit, that got to be a long chapter. I wasn't sure as whether or not to split it up, but it feels better as a whole chapter. So, I'm on a health-leave from college so I have a lot of free time for writing! So there's plus sides to everything! I'm pretty sure the whole Henry Kirk affair with Katherine was made somewhat obvious but maybe I shocked someone! There's probably a few grammar mistakes and typos even though I try to edit as best as I can. I should probably invest in a beta reader, hm. Well, to the two people who read this story; it makes me keep on writing! I really do appreciate the nice reviews. It makes me so happy :) Next chapter will be the Hogsmeade Date…I mean trip, of course! Because it's not like anyone is going on any dates in this story! Noooo, that would be absurd! Also, I'm sorry if Katherine came off a bit more serious in this chapter, but I thought it suited the mood better since she has a kind of shitty love life. Anyways, thanks for reading down to this point. I hope the story is taking off in the direction you guys wanted. Thanks you guys!**

**p.s. James will get a lot more of POV action next chapter :)**

**Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxxxxx xoxooooooxoxooxoxooxooxoxoxo oxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxxletst hrowapenisinhereC========8xoxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxx- Bobby**


	6. Shitty Grins and Secret Smiles

_**Sirius**_

The dorm was quiet.

Far too quiet for a Friday night.

Both Prongs and Wormtail were out doing Head Boy runs and kitchen runs, respectively.

As for Moony, well, he was lounging on his bed while reading _Quidditch Monthly_.

I looked down at my desk and stared at the blank parchment paper. I was supposed to writing a report on lesser-known Dark Art spells for D.A.D.A. but reading so much about it in the newspaper made me sick enough.

"Moooooooony," A huge sigh left my body "When is our D.A.D.A. essay due?"

"Monday." He flipped a page of his book, not even bothering to look up at me.

"Merlin…well, Saturday night is the night I'm most productive." I said this with false confidence, which he completely saw through.

"Uh-huh." Again, he didn't even bother to sound interested.

"Since it's only Friday night, I think I'll just take a break and relax." My legs met my desk as I leaned back on my chair. From my angle, I could see the calendar we all shared, which was marked with dates for potential pranks, exams, homework assignments and…a weird little heart thing on random days.

What the bloody hell?

"Hey," Moony finally looked up at me "Who's been drawing hearts all over the calendar?"

"Oh, that's Prongs's doing. He's been keeping track of days that Lily gives him positive signs for, dunno, a romantic relationship of some sorts. I think when he reaches a certain number, he's going to legitimately ask her out."

"That seems awfully elaborate. He has almost a week's worth on here. Not bad. Say, Moony?" I called out to him once more.

For some reason, I was just in a very chatty mood.

Moony and I could really carry a good conversation about pretty much anything, but it was hard to talk lately what with N.E.W.T.s destroying everyone's lives.

"Prongs said he had some big news for us." Now Moony had put his book down and was actually talking to me.

Huh, that's a nice change.

"He said the same thing to me. I wonder what it is. Knowing him, it's probably something that's not too significant." I said this while remembering the time when Prongs made a huge commotion over the new super-deluxe Dungbombs.

"If it's about Dungbombs again…" Moony started as I laughed at the coincidence of us having the same thought.

"I was just thinking about the same thing! I don't know if I have the money right now to spend on Dungbombs. If we're going to Zonko's tomorrow, I think I can only manage to buy the normal ones. I don't think Prongs is even going to spend tomorrow with any of us. Instead, he'll probably be nipping at Evans's heels." Part of me cringed as I imagined how the last Hogsmeade trip went for everyone last year.

It ended up with Prongs getting a black eye while Lily ended up being a bachelorette once more.

"Well, Sirius, one could say that you've been nipping at someone's heels as well." Oh, how sly of Moony.

"I just find Katherine to be fun. You know, I asked her to come with me to Hogsmeade tomorrow." A shit-eating grin started to form on Moony's mouth before I could even elaborate.

"So you two are a thing now? A little item?" Now homework was the last thing on his mind.

"No, no, no. Fuck, it's not like that. I just…she's a friend, I'm a friend. We're both friends. Nothing more. Her two little friends, Kirk and Oates, they're kind of preoccupied with fulfilling their sexual desires so they'll be busy with that tomorrow. I figured that Prongs would running after Evans, and well, you and Wormtail always slink off together somewhere." Memories of tonight started to replay in my head and my face started to warm up.

I mean realistically, when a man is friendly with a woman, there is natural attraction.

It's not like I want to shag her endlessly, though.

"Peter actually has a date tomorrow with an Agnes Clearwater. I guess I can stay up and go to the library tomorrow…"

"Wait, wait, wait, the same Agnes that we caught picking bogies out of her nose? And forget the library, mate, you're coming with us tomorrow. The more, the merrier!"

"She was just scratching her nose, you know that. And Sirius, that's rather kind of you but I don't want to…"

"Nonsense, nonsense! It'd be nice for Katherine anyways. She wants new friends!" Before Moony could object any further, Prongs burst into the room with the dumbest grin on his face.

"Padfoot, Moony, Wormtail…where is he," Prongs cut himself off as he looked around the room while I shrugged, not having a clue.

"Out with that Agnes girl, I think. Maybe. Dunno really." Setting his book on the nightstand, Moony made his way out of his bed and started to stumble towards the bathroom.

"Wait, wait, wait. Before you go piss, I have exciting news." said Prongs as he stood in front Moony, waving his hands all over the place.

"Out with it, James." I didn't have to see Moony's face to know that he was rolling his eyes.

"Well, okay, so I have a date with Lily. Not like it's a big deal or anything. But I mean it's a fucking date with Lily Evans, so I mean it's a pretty big deal." Prongs said this while trying to keep a straight face, but he had that all too familiar, Marauder, mischievous grin.

"Well, way to go Prongs! Finally managed to tame the crimson chimera! So, uh, what love potion did you use?" I got up to clap him on the back but he pulled away, waving his hands in a grand gesture as he jumped onto the side of the bunk bed, grasping one of the wooden poles for support as he puffed his chest.

"I merely used my natural charm! No, but seriously," He dropped down on the bed and fell against it "It just kind of happened. Which is odd because we got into an argument last night about our essays. I critiqued it but she didn't take the criticism well and we kind of left things on an awkward note. But then during breakfast, she seemed to be in good spirits and I thought 'Well, why the hell not?' and asked her. She said yes and we're doing homework at the Three Broomsticks."

"That's a terrible place to do homework. Good work, Prongs," He started to frown at me as I said this but I continued "Hold on, don't glare at me. In her mind, it's just some silly study date but hardly any studying will go down because it's the bloody Three Broomsticks! Flawless!" I applauded him as he sat up and bowed a bit.

"That is actually clever. Did you think that through or just realized it now?" Moony chirped in as he came back from the toilet.

"Well, of course I thought it through. I plan accordingly to every occasion!"

"Oh, put a sock in it, you arse." I chucked one of my textbooks at our bunk bed, missing Prongs's head completely.

Bollocks.

"In all seriousness," Prongs took a sincere tone "I'm a bloody genius and did plan out the whole thing." I threw another book at him with it this time grazing his face. He responded with mad laughter as he continued to taunt me.

"You just have to point out the obvious, Padsie! Moony and I share a telepathic bond, so we're always on the same page. In fact, we already have your wedding with that Wright girl planned! Isn't that right, Moony?" Now the both of them were laughing while I sat there trying to think of a clever response.

"You mean Katherine? That's her name." Well, that was all I could think of.

"Oh, look at how big my wittle Pwadfoot has gotten! He's like a big, brave, knight defending his fair maid—oi! Watch it, you little shit! You're going to break my glasses!" Prongs cried out in defense as I pounced him.

Attacking him was the only way I could of think of to shut him up.

We wrestled around on the bed, getting various headlocks and throwing wild punches until the door busted open.

"Wormtail! My best mate! Lily agreed to go on a date with me. And Padfoot is getting married." Prongs grinned unabashedly as I held him in a chokehold.

"Not to Marlene, I hope." Wormtail's nose crinkled as he watched the two of us with amused confusion. There were a few red marks on his neck.

From the looks of it, he had been snogging.

"Oh, Wormtail, you sly little tosser. Who's the girl leeching away at your neck?" I spoke up as I loosened the hold on Prongs's neck. That was a mistake as he quickly flipped me over and pinned my arm behind my back.

"Yeah, Wormtail, who's the lucky," Prongs grunted as he continued to force the pin "girl?"

"Uh, ah, Agnes…I think…I think we're kind of dating? I don't really know. She asked me to eat at the Ravenclaw table tomorrow. Is that a good sign?" Wormtail loosened his tie as he went to sit on the edge of the bunk bed he shared with Moony.

"Well, if you want to date her, then yeah," I twisted out of Prongs's grip and flipped him over, his head hitting the bottom of the top bed in the process "But if you don't want to be tied down, then oooh, bad luck."

"Fuck! That really hurt, mate!" Prongs shoved me off and punched me in the arm in a half-playful, half-serious manner.

"Well, I've never really seriously dated anyone but she seems really nice…" Wormtail started to drift off but Moony intervened, giving some good insight.

"Don't back out of something that you know deep down is a good thing. Giving into nerves will only give you regrets. Agnes seems to like you and you seem to like her. You're not marrying her; just take it slow. Like Sirius and Katherine." Moony said this as he turned his head towards me, wearing that dumb, stupid, idiotic, shitty, grin.

Tosser.

"Do all of you really think I'd be stupid enough to get involved with a girl right after a nasty break up with a psychotic bint?" I rubbed my sore arm as I made my way back towards my desk, trying to hide my irritation.

"I don't know, Padfoot, from the looks of it, it seems like you actually like psychotic bints. But Katherine is a good type of loony. She's interesting and seems to be a good pace for you." I glared at Prongs in frustration due to the fact that he didn't seem to get that neither her nor I wanted date one another.

Tired of the relentless badgering, I decided to turn the tables on him.

"Speaking of paces," I moved towards the calendar that Prongs had been marking with little hearts "All of this seems to be going pretty fast and well. Good for you, mate! Here, I'll just take my quill and add a big fat heart to your little date tomorrow." I started to dip the feather in ink while Prongs's face reddened.

From the looks of it, he had been hoping none of us would notice the calendar.

"Oh, just leave it alone, Padfoot. Put the quill down, just…damn it all to bloody hell!" said Prongs as he scrambled off his bed to stop me from making any alterations to the calendar but alas, the job was done.

Though, instead of a heart, it was an ejaculating penis.

"Oh _bollocks_, did I do that?" I grinned at him only to be tackled onto the floor in response.

That night none of us did any homework.

* * *

_**James**_

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but the scrimmage game today is cancelled. Too many teams have been caught practicing outside of their allotted training schedules. Frankly, I don't think it needs any more explanation than that. If you want further details, I suggest you take it up with Madam Hooch. Now if you would excuse me." McGonagall was curt as always and walked away before I could get a word in.

Originally, the plan for the weekend was going to be eventful with a scrimmage Quidditch match to kick off the season, and then a trip to Hogsmeade.

It was going to be a first attempt at a scrimmage but due to the lack of advertising and it coinciding with Hogsmeade, a lot of confusion probably arose from the student body.

The game was scheduled for Saturday but then people kept saying that Hogsmeade was on the same day.

In fact, Professors didn't even know the difference.

The result was that the Hogsmeade trip ended up being today.

McGonagall probably used the excessive practice excuse just so I couldn't argue back because I knew that normally it was one of the few things she turned a blind eye to.

The faculty probably couldn't risk students trying to throw its own game without proper supervision while trying to chaperone a Hogsmeade trip.

But it wasn't fair! My team had worked their tiny little bums off for that dumb, make-believe game that wouldn't count towards the House Cup Tournament.

"Aw, what a shame, mate. Looks like I could have slept in this morning." Padfoot clapped me on the back, not seeming to really care about the cancelled match.

That of course irked me but I bit my tongue.

I turned towards the rest of the team.

Only Gibbs and Other James seemed to be upset while the others were indifferent.

"Well, I know you lot probably have other plans in mind. Might as well head towards the Great Hall." The group promptly dispersed with various 'Sorry James's while Padfoot stayed behind with me.

"You think Kirk would have dominated our arses?" I asked him with a great sigh.

"No, of course not, mate. He'd be too busy staring at yours." We both chuckled as we made our way to get breakfast.

We started talking about how Katherine and Kirk would have started bickering like they always did during matches.

One time Katherine actually punched him in the nose and had to be out for the rest of the game.

"Did she really do that? Merlin's Beard! I wish I could remember." His face continued to light up as we entered into the hall, his eyes set on the Hufflepuff table.

She was sitting by herself, unaware of everything around her as she quietly ate her food.

Just as about as Padfoot was going to venture off to her, Kirk quickly brushed past us dragging Mary along.

He stood across from her and called her attention while Mary, as always, looked uncomfortable. He seemed to be asking her something to which she shook her head and started to eat once more. Kirk visibly frowned as he put his arm around Mary as he spoke again.

Katherine only shook her head once more. Huffing and puffing, Kirk dragged Mary to the Gryffindor table without further questioning.

Goodness, she barely spoke to Kirk and he was already angry.

No wonder Padfoot loved her.

"Wonder what all of that was about." I thought aloud while Padfoot shrugged.

"Dunno. I think I'll go ask." And there went any attention I held from Padfoot.

Oh well.

He deserved some happy times!

"Good morning everyone!" I greeted the Gryffindor table as I sat down.

Everyone, save for Kirk, seemed to be much more chipper than usual.

Even Lily was smiling a bit, and she wasn't a morning person.

"James, is it okay if we also review some stuff from Defense? Reading about the Imperius curse got a little confusing as to how its origins came about. I just, I'm not sure," She paused as she looked at me with those insanely, adorable, eyes "I figured you'd know more about that, I suppose."

"Oh, that's completely fine, Lily. I mean, to be honest, I was little bit confused at that part too. But I could try." My face grew red as she looked at me with such a peaceful expression.

She just seemed so relaxed today and, Merlin did that ever make her all the more attractive.

"You two are awfully chummy." Marlene spoke up from the other side of Lily, smiling from ear to ear.

For once, she didn't seem fixated on Padfoot and instead appeared to be rather charming, much like her old self.

"Oh, Marlene, please. We've just learned how to talk like adults. The two of us being nice to each other shouldn't be such a big thing." Some of Lily's hair brushed against my face as she turned to face Marlene.

It smelled rather pleasant, like some generic flower scent that I really didn't know what to call.

I mean it sure was bloody better than the cheap shit that Padfoot washes his bollocks with.

"Lily and I have always had the potential of becoming great friends, we just lacked the proper timing!" Had I known that Lily wasn't really too fond of rough housing and all around acting like a cad, I probably would have stopped years ago.

But, oh goodness, did I have a knack for mischievousness.

I was a genius when it came to pranks, really.

"Proper timing, huh? That's a way to put it," murmured Lily before she took a bite of her pancakes.

Her cheek lifted up slightly and I felt myself blush as I noticed her secret smile.

She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, catching my gaze.

I expected her to look away but she kept her composure and stared back for a full minute.

"Speaking of great friends," Kirk's voice broke our silent conversation "Where's your little lapdog, Black?" Lily's eyes widened in alarm as she slightly shook her head.

I took that gesture as her way of telling me not to add fuel to the fire.

"Well, Kirk," I spoke up without bothering to look at him "I can't really say that I know. Sorry, mate." It was quiet for a moment after that, but just as everyone was relaxed…

"Oh, there's your little whore friend, Henry. She's with Sirius, of course. They seem to really suit each other." Marlene smiled bitterly as we all turned our attention to the Hufflepuff table.

There they were, the two of them sitting without a care in the world.

In fact, they looked so carefree that they weren't so hyper as usual.

No, instead, they seemed to be eating in a comfortable silence.

Huh, from the looks of it, they really did look like a couple.

"Such a shame, really. Katherine had never shown any interest in boys before and when she does for the first time, it's Sirius Black. She's just delusional. Take pity on her, she surely will need it." Kirk's tone was nastier than usual as he glowered at the two of them.

"Is that why you were shouting at her?" Marlene spoke more so with curiosity than viciousness, which surprised me.

Her emotions about the whole situation seemed to be all over the place.

"Well, Mary and I wanted to see if she was still spending the day with us but she decided she wants to run around with Black all over Hogsmeade." Both he and Marlene sighed, while Mary looked around the room, trying not to take part of the conversation.

"What a stupid girl. She'll learn soon." She said this with a sneer.

Every breakfast for the past couple of weeks had been so awkward because of this whole break up nonsense.

"I'm spending the day with them, actually. And I think we're meeting up with James and Lily later on for lunch." Before I could pounce on Marlene and Kirk for their ignorance, Moony surprisingly interjected.

I didn't even notice him take a seat at the table.

"Oh, they are?" Lily inquired with a tone that I couldn't really read.

It didn't really sound like her usual irritation.

"I, uh, I guess. Is that fine with you?" I asked cautiously to which she nodded, ending the conversation.

Man, she was so laid back today.

"Remus, my good ol' chap!" We all looked up to see that Padfoot had joined us while Katherine remained at her table with that Oates fellow.

"Morning," Moony, in return, slightly raised his cup in greeting.

"Jamesie, my little crumpet, how are you today?" Without a care, Padfoot nestled himself between Kirk and Remus, sitting himself directly in front of me.

"Oh, lovely and dandy. A beautiful day indeed." And everything was even more awkward as Marlene sniffed and harrumphed, trying to…I don't even fucking know.

I don't really understand women, if that hasn't been obvious.

"Say," he turned towards Moony "Katherine and I were thinking of ideas of what to do today. Do you like knitting?" I snorted at this but wasn't able to make a smart comment on it since Marlene cleared her throat.

Padfoot, in turn, looked at her with an incredulous expression and then towards Lily with his brow raised, expecting some sort of explanation.

"She's ignoring you, but wants it to be known that you two eating so close together cannot carry on." Lily explained in a bored tone, not bothering to look up from her work.

"Oh? Is that right? Well since I'm so dense, I don't think I can fully comprehend that. I think I'll just make myself comfy over here." He didn't even bother to look at her as he stretched his arms behind him, lacing his fingers behind his head.

"Oh, come on," Lily groaned in protest "It's all bloody strange for all of us to talk to each other with this passive aggressive nonsense going on. You can at least sit with Katherine Wright for a few more weeks."

"Or, or, or," Padfoot's voice grew into that excited tone he had when he was especially cruel "She and her imp, Kirk, could move their bloody arses up a bench where they used to sit. Or they could put up with lil' ol' me."

"Sirius, come on, we can go wait by the gates to beat the Hogsmeade rush…"

"No, Remus, no! This is complete and utter bullshit! I'm going to eat my breakfast in peace, so, _she,_" He nodded towards Marlene with a vehement tone "Can just get her knickers adjusted out of that fucking knot because I'm not moving." He grinned as he piled his plate with bacon and sausage, maintaining eye contact with Marlene.

Merlin, what nerves of iron steel.

Little did he know, we were all in just the in the eye of the shitstorm.

The worst was yet to come.

"For goodness's sake, Sirius! You just ate breakfast over at the Hufflepuff table with that stupid bint." huffed Marlene as she gripped hard onto her cup, the skin on her knuckles becoming taut.

"The only sodding bint I know of is you, you dumb bint. And I can eat as much breakfast as I want! I'm a growing lad! Don't mind me, I'm just getting my daily nutritional intake. And don't you fucking dare dump that juice on me. That tactic is old, love." He smiled bitterly as he took a big bite off of piece of bacon.

I myself was fighting laughter during the midst of this.

At one point, I just snorted loudly through my nose, which set off a bunch of bubbles in my drink.

"You're the lowest of scum! I hope you rot in hell!" Marlene hastily stood up, knocking over her goblet of juice in the process.

Well, at least this time it was on accident.

"Marlene," Lily's voice was surprisingly soft "…FUCKING HELL."

Oh never mind, the juice had gotten all over Lily's notes.

Before Lily could scream at her anymore, Marlene scampered out of the Great Hall.

"Some friend that is, Evans." A piece of bacon was sticking out of Padfoot's mouth as he smirked a little.

"This is all your fault! Why do you insist on antagonizing her? She can't handle it!" Her hair became a little wild as she gathered all of her damaged notes, casting a drying spell on them, and then further inspected the damages.

"She simply cannot tell me what to do. I can sit where I want to when I want to." He slurped at his cup and wolfed down another piece of toast.

He hadn't eaten this furiously since he first hit puberty.

"Maybe if Marlene wasn't so antagonistic…" I started but Lily's glare cut me off. Putting my hands up in the air, I resigned the topic and continued to let the two of them duke it out.

"You guys dated for awhile and you're acting…"

"Would you stop repeating the same thing every morning? I wasn't dating both you and Marlene. You weren't involved in our relationship. So let us work this out ourselves. She's already using two people as little dogs against me. Don't stoop that low, Lily." Surprisingly, Padfoot's tone was calm despite his candid words.

"Maybe if you took your head out of your arse, you would see that I'm trying to help both of you. If you tried to be the bigger person…"

"Like you? Because you're _always_ the biggest person, Evans. Tell me, how does it feel to be perfect? I'm honestly just touched that you choose to grace me with your presence." Lily flushed at his words and remained quiet for a moment.

"Oi," Both of them looked towards me "You don't have to be a downright cad. Lily's not the only one who's tired of this shit. I wouldn't say it's your entire fault, mate, but you don't help the situation at all."

"Oh, well, thank you, James, for the making me suddenly see the clarity of the _situation_. Situation? There is none! It's been practically a month and I'm done, she should be too. Moony, let's go get Katherine and leave since I keep _antagonizing _everyone here." He shot us a dirty look before sauntering over to the Hufflepuff table, where he put his hand on Wright's shoulder and spoke to her.

"Have fun with pulling the stick out of his bum." I said to Moony, who only sighed as he gathered his materials in his arms.

"I'm sure he'll be agreeable when Katherine simply looks in his direction." said Moony with dry smile.

Sure enough, Padfoot was already speaking animatedly with her and grinning like a dumb bloke.

After Moony left, it was only Lily and I left. She was a little quiet as she stared at her open book, which was still wet. Her eyes weren't moving though, instead they were bit glazed over as if she was in deep thought. She hadn't noticed my presence until I dried her book with my wand.

"Oh, uh, thank you." And then I saw it.

A faint hint of pink across her cheeks.

Without thinking, I looked away and mumbled a "No Problem, as I, too, blushed.

We both sat in silence for the rest of breakfast, but it was a good silence.

A very good silence.

* * *

_**Sirius**_

"I thought we were done with pranks." Moony's voice was not amused, but nevertheless, all three of us entered a bustling Zonkos. Immediately, I rushed over to their new arrivals, forcing myself through a group of third years.

"Hey! Move your fucking arse!" one of them bellowed at me.

"Such hostile language. Can I help you, gentlemen?" I turned around with my hand in my pocket, fingering my wand. Any aggression died down from them once they saw my face.

One of them murmured to another about what happened to Henry Kirk's head.

Which was a shame, really, because that wasn't even my work.

"Quit pissing around," said the same bloke who yelled at me, though his voice was softer now.

Apprehensive looks came from the other clueless gits, all of them pretty much pretending they didn't know him.

"What?" I smiled at him, ignoring the glare from the shopkeeper.

I wasn't going to be stupid.

"Nothing." The same boy mumbled as he looked away.

I stayed silent for a moment.

Trying to think of the best way to approach this conflict was challenging, but I finally had an idea.

"What's your name?" He seemed unreceptive to my question, but after a moment or two, he spoke.

"Logan Nelson."

"Well, Logan, I won't lecture you on how rude it is to bark orders at people, especially upperclassmen. I'm assuming you normally have that much common sense. But in case that you don't, I could always send you a prompt reminder." I turned partially away from him, eyeing a new, improved version of itching powder.

That would come in handy with the Slytherins' broom closet.

"What the hell do you mean by that?" Logan asked indignantly, ignoring the quiet protests of his friends.

"I'll leave that to your interpretation." I grabbed the new and improved itching powder and made my way to the cash register while the group of boys stared at my back for a minute before deciding to leave.

After my purchase, I went back to the entrance of the store to see that Moony and Katherine hadn't even bothered to look around.

They just stayed in one spot and seemed to be in midst of an interesting conversation.

"Does your mum insist on odd, Muggle, things like mine? Like gift wrapping by hand! It's so irritating when she can just do it with a flick of a wand but she makes me do it for every holiday."

"My mum is actually a Muggle. So, I've probably done most chores like you do since my father is away at work a lot."

"How did they meet if she was a Muggle? It's probably because I've been sheltered but I've lived in an almost exclusive wizarding area, so I haven't had much exposure to the Muggle world as much as my mum would like." The way the two of them spoke so freely made me feel odd since Moony was normally reserved and Katherine didn't seem as nervous as I expected.

"My father stumbled upon her in the woods when she encountered a Boggart, so he defeated it and they hit it off. He admitted that she wasn't really in danger but I guess she didn't mind since here I am. I think they had a Boggart topper on their wedding cake as well." He held his chin in contemplation, most likely trying to recall if that last bit was true or not.

"Well," I found the moment to speak up and the two of them looked at me "I found some supplies. Where should we go next?"

"Sirius," her voice immediately became excited "I saw you verbally abuse those poor children. They shoved past us all 'Stupid, dinky, Sirius Black and his perfect hair.' They were so huffy and puffy for Hufflepuffs." For some reason, her dumb joke made me laugh really hard.

"It's probably because they're going through the pains of puberty." She laughed at my observation as the three of us left the store.

I held the bag under my arm, expecting her to ask about what I purchased but she continued to speak with Moony.

"Does your mum ever randomly decide to get offended by something just because it's purely magical? We have a whole Muggle room in my house, which is actually rather cool, but I guess it's to help my grandparents whenever they visit." Katherine laughed some more while Moony nodded enthusiastically.

"Believe me when I say my mum is more stubborn than yours. While she loves magical objects, she's always afraid to interact with them in the fear of accidentally breaking something. I've been more accustomed to Muggle living than any of my friends." Moony spoke easily.

It was surprisingly how talkative he was since he seemed rather apprehensive of spending the day with us in the beginning.

Now they were having intelligent conversations and bonding over Muggle things, something that I kind of lacked expertise in.

"That's really adorable, wow. I wish I could meet your mum. She sounds like she's extremely cute." Gushing noises came from Katherine while I fought the urge to gag.

"I suppose she is in her own way." Moony laughed some more and suddenly I was the fucking third wheel.

Who in the ever-loving hell decided three was a good number?

"Well, we all know my own mother ranks number one in the cuteness factor." Both of them looked at me with huge grins as I squeezed between the two of them.

"Didn't James meet your mum once?" asked Moony as I shuddered at the memory of it.

"Er, I suppose he did. It was when he helped me gather my things when I left home. She screamed blood traitors left and right as she threw hexes. It was a good thing she was swinging her wand about like the mad bitch she is, because otherwise I'm pretty sure one of our ears would have been sliced off."

"You left home? Where did you go?" It shocked me that Katherine didn't manage to hear the whole hellish story that was spread around Hogwarts during the last half of our sixth year.

"Moved in with Prongs and his family. They've been more of parents than mine ever were. Moony here spent a lot of time with us this summer. It was a blast, wasn't it, mate?"

"If you call doing your summer homework a blast, then yes, it was." His remark was dry but he let on a bit of a smile.

He sure as bloody hell didn't complain when his pockets were filled with Galleons.

"Rubbish! We did plenty of exploring and got you drunk for the first time…"

"Oh! What fun! I never imagined Remus Lupin would ever consider getting drunk." The three of us rounded a corner to one of the busier streets.

"Well, it wasn't intentional and what do you mean by that? I can have fun, believe it or not." Even though his words sounded sore, his tone was warm.

"Oh, I didn't mean anything like that. You just seem like you have a glass of brandy with a book every evening, so I imagine you'd have quite the tolerance. Ah yes, I can see it now. Remus Lupin reading _Alvra Allure and Her Quidditch Keeper _while sipping fancy wine by his ten foot long fireplace." Moony let out a sudden laugh and soon the three of us were all laughing at stupid things—like how Moony put up with Prongs and me or how Katherine found extremely silly things hilarious.

Katherine kept looking to me with that wild smile during the midst of the conversation.

I could see that perhaps she was nervous.

And so she looked to me.

It was kind of strange how well the three of us were getting on. Moony had been rather sullen since this beginning of this school year but he seemed pretty chipper today.

In fact, he even declared a genius prank for the two of us to execute—it involved charming Henry Kirk's textbook to say "wanker" instead of wand—but we got distracted when Katherine pushed me into a pile of leaves.

We had wandered to a small patch of woods near by the Shrieking Shack.

Both Moony and I let out surprised yelps as Katherine cackled.

"This just explains why your reflexes are so bad during Quidditch matches." She taunted as she hid behind a tree.

"_Excuse me_?" I scrambled off my feet as she skittered off to another tree. We ran around the naked trees as Moony leaned against one himself, watching us with great amusement.

"The thing is," Katherine dodged my attempt to grab her "I bet it's because you're too busy thinking of secret handshakes to do with Potter that when a Bludger comes, you just kind of use your beater as a shield!"

"Is that so? I swear I've never seen anyone drop a Quaffle as much as you!" We neared the pile of leaves she pushed me into.

"That's because Kirk gets the damn thing all wet with his clammy hands…" Before she could finish, I grabbed her as I threw both of us into the pile of leaves.

Almost immediately, the pile diminished as some leaves went drifting away in the breeze. She was on top of me, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

We looked at each other while our breaths became foggy.

Her eyes were so round and so…so _brown_.

Well, brown normally sounds so boring but in this case, it was anything but that. I'd never seen so much delight as I did in her eyes. It was something truly…

"If you two want to roll around in leaves all day, that is completely fine but I'm pretty keen on getting something for lunch." Moony spoke up from a few feet away, still amused.

Katherine rolled away from me and started to get up, but I pulled her back into the leaves as I sprang forward, getting a head start.

"Ah, yes, a good idea, mate. All of this tomfoolery works up quite the appetite." I started to adjust my clothes when Katherine dumped a bunch of leaves onto the both of us.

"Huh," she thought aloud as we tried to get small leaf bits off our heads "That was pretty anti-climatic. Just wait until it snows. I'll be sure to get more creative with that."

"Please do, because leaves just get stuck in the collar of your shirt." Moony itched his neck as he shifted while I pulled what I thought was the last leaf from behind my ear.

We all fell into the same step as we headed back to the bustling Hogsmeade, unaware of the fact that we were indeed ridiculously covered in leaves.

* * *

_**James**_

"So, in this paragraph, you're presenting the contradicting point of view but it just kind of seems like it's rattling off facts." I looked up to see Lily scrawling something on a piece of parchment. She handed it to me as she took a sip of Butterbeer.

It left a frothy mustache on her upper lip, something she was quick to wipe off with her sleeve.

I smiled to myself as I looked down at the parchment, realizing it was further commentary on my essay.

"Thanks, Lily. This is really thorough." She simply nodded as she began to drum her fingers against the table. I noticed that my own foot was jittering up and down against the floor as well.

"It's a bit hard to focus in here, honestly." I admitted as I set aside the essay.

Honestly, it was stupid of me to suggest the fucking Three Broomsticks but Padfoot insisted that it genius since it meant we had more of a chance of socializing.

"Well, in all honesty, I've gotten more done here than I would have in my own dorm. Dorcas likes to hover over my shoulder or Marlene wants a therapy session." I noticed that she blushed easily, with it starting at her ears and then spreading along her cheekbones.

"Remus has similar problems with us. One time Sirius spilled Firewhiskey on Remus's desk and it burned a hole through it. Remus has never hit anyone in his life but Merlin, was he close to murdering Sirius that day." Lily rolled her eyes at this but chuckled softly.

"Why am I not surprised? And alcohol in your dorm? That bloody well have been last year because you're Head…"

"Relax, Evans," I leaned back against the padding of the booth "I have all of that under control."

She raised an eyebrow in return.

"That isn't very reassuring because last time you said that, Other James ended up passed out and naked in the Common Room." My mouth twitched hard as I fought a smile, remembering how he quickly made a toga out of a nearby blanket and lounged around the Common Room for the rest of the morning.

"Oh, but Other James handled himself quite well, considering he consumed so much Butterbeer that he managed to get completely drunk from it."

"Why do we all call him Other James? If I recall, he's the older one." I was quiet for a moment, letting her believe that I was seriously considering her question.

"It's just…" I looked away dramatically while peeking at her out of the corner of my eye "I'm cursed with such beauty that I had to be the one to bear the responsibility of the one, true, James."

"You're beginning to sound like that Katherine girl." She said dryly as she twirled the Butterbeer around in her tankard.

"She said I had a nice bum, you know." I grinned at Lily as her face scrunched in disgust and disbelief.

"She outright said that? Is that how she and Sirius started talking? She just went up to you and said 'Hey Potter, nice arse.' Is that what she did?" I started to laugh while she just looked at me in confusion.

"Sirius and I just _happened _to take a stroll to the Quidditch Pitch when Hufflepuff was practicing—to boost rival team morale, you know—and she was mocking Kirk for always following me around like a school girl and ogling my bum. So, in a way, it was an indirect compliment. I was rather touched, really. Made me tear up. Sirius didn't really take much of interest in her then, though. No, that was when Katherine accidentally stumbled upon Sirius after he broke up with Marlene."

"Wait, so they didn't know each other before that?" She leaned forward as she took another big gulp out of her tankard.

Honestly, she was so cute with how she drank.

"Sirius had no idea she existed. I guess she really made an impression because he talked about her more than the break up with Marlene…"

"Well, I suppose he would after having a wild rendezvous with a stranger…" Lily muttered but stopped as she looked towards me.

My face must have conveyed that falseness of that statement.

"I cannot stress enough that there is nothing like that going on between them—well for now anyways. I know their relationship is absolutely bizarre but absurd things suit Sirius pretty well I've discovered over the years." I said as I took my first sip from my own tankard.

Although it was served cold, the Butterbeer started to warm up as it slid down my throat. I never thought in a million years that I would be a having calm drink with Lily.

"You know," She brushed her hair behind her back as she straightened up "I always defend her to Marlene even though I don't know the girl. I don't even know why. Well, I do know that I can't stand girls picking apart other girls. It's the seventies. Women should be united rather than throwing each other to the pits. It probably lies with that, really."

"How do four girls share a dormitory anyway? Are there fights?" Lily nodded intensely at my question, so I pressed further.

"Like full out kicking and biting?" I imagined Lily throwing a punch to Dorcas's stomach and the image struck me rather odd.

"Oh, heavens no," She put her hand up to stop further questioning "It's all very backhanded and sneaky. It starts out over something small, such as someone never rinses out their spit from brushing their teeth or they leave hair all over the bathroom. So _innocent _things start to happen such as your toothbrush suddenly has a suspicious aroma or you're suddenly having much more breakouts. The thing is that none of it is ever brought up directly. Instead, you just _assume _who's behind it. And so you calculate on whether to charm their shampoo to frizz their hair or temper their scale so they think they're gaining weight. I'm pretty sure Dorcas and I have been spitting in each other's shampoo for years now but we're both too scared to use ours, so we use Alice's instead. She never notices though because she has _a lot _of shampoo. And…sorry, I'm beginning to ramble." She folded her hands on the table and looked away, as if she was embarrassed.

"No, I love this! Lily Evans pranking other girls…"

"They're not pranks! Honestly, they're just small, underhanded tricks." She insisted as she tried not to smile, but I saw that twitch on the corner of her mouth.

"You mean pranks. Because that is what pranks are." She furrowed her brow at my own insistence but remained quiet for a moment.

"Well, if I'm doing pranks then they're in an entirely different class from your _pranks_. I've never done anything like charm connect-the-dots on people's spots. Or when you made Robert Gillling's shoes dance for twenty-four hours and enchanted them to stick to his feet. I've never gone that far." She crossed her arms, pulling her cardigan closer to her.

"Well, when you've been in the pranking business as long as I have—don't roll your eyes because mischief is a form of art—you have to go big. I could have spit in Robert Gilling's drink but the fact he took Gryffindor's practice slot in two consecutive rows during fifth year made me feel that would have been inadequate. Sure enough, Gryffindor was always ensured its practice after that year." In fact, Gilling had been so kind that he gave us one of Ravenclaw's practice slots.

We basically called it even.

"Oh, but that just makes me angry!" Lily pointed her finger at me, causing me to prepare for a wave of verbal abuse "Because you're just stooping to their level. It just makes you a bully in some way when you're above that, James. And…"

"That was two years ago, Lily. I've wised up some since then."

"You made Snape and his friends spew their food all over each other a few weeks ago." She gave me a pointed look, which only made me sigh.

"That was technically all of Sirius's doing. But if it bothers you then, well, I'll stop." I brought my tankard to my mouth once more as I studied her.

She was so flustered by this subject when it started out so harmless.

"No, but you don't understand what messages it sends when you continue to prank…wait, did you just agree to stop?" She was waving her finger about at me again but froze as she realized what I had said previously.

"Yes. I'll stop." I said as I lowered her finger while she eyed me suspiciously.

"Well, that is shocking." I gave her a skeptical look as she said this.

"Really, Lily? Really? I haven't pranked anyone since then. Have you seen me ever so much as raise my wand at anyone?" She opened her mouth to object but nothing came out.

Frustrated, she took another sip of Butterbeer when suddenly her face lit up as she pulled her mouth away from it.

"Derek Abbott. Last week, you made his nose bleed for hours…"

"That was Sirius. Abbott made a smart comment about the whole Marlene thing and Sirius didn't take too kindly to it." She immediately frowned when I said this, but then put her fingers to her temple as she scrunched her eyes, thinking hard.

"Mulciber had that horn growing out of his head…"

"That was Sirius again. I wasn't there for that one though."

"But you were there for the other one? And you didn't do anything?" If her scowl was meant to be scary, she was doing a horrid job because I found it _delectable_.

"I wasn't there for the other one either." I said without missing a beat, even though it was a bloody lie.

"But you just insinuated…"

"Do you have proof? Nope! Carry on." Half of me expected her to get livid at this but she just heaved a huge sigh before she downed the rest of her Butterbeer.

"What about that third year whose kneecaps were twisted backwards—well one of them was actually twisted ninety degrees—that had to be you…" She had managed to get another frothy mustache but this time she didn't wipe it off.

"Nonsense. That was actually Peter, given the poor spell casting. I'd never mess up such a simple spell." Trying to hide my smile was inevitable because the accusations were getting to be too amusing.

"Normally, he wouldn't dare to…"

"Oh, but he has a girl to impress now. Things change when there's a pretty little lass around. You end up making yourself look like an arrogant little berk. Believe me, I'm speaking from experience." She gave me another pointed look but it softened as she let a smirk slowly surface.

"You know, Potter," Her fingers wrapped themselves loosely around her tankard "You can be quite…"

"Well, hello! Good afternoon chums!" We both looked up to see Padfoot, Moony and Katherine charging up to our table. All of them seemed to be quite jovial—even Moony, who had been rather moody lately.

"Hello, hello! Katherine, normally I'd express my condolences for the cancelled game but I'm pretty sure the Hufflepuff team is relieved." I spoke directly to her as I got up to let both Padfoot and her into the booth. Moony moved to Lily's side and slid in on the edge seat.

"Oh, very cute, Potter. I guess you could say that we're relieved of what would have been the guilt of demolishing you on the field. I don't know how Henry would have dealt with that, seeing how he is so fond of you." She replied from the other side of Padfoot, who was moving his head about looking for a server.

"Should we order something to eat?" said Remus as he glanced at a menu.

I looked over to Lily, who only shrugged.

"I just want Butterbeer, if that's okay." Katherine's voice had suddenly grown shy as she simply smiled with her hands in her lap.

She really chose the oddest moments to get bashful.

"Not Firewhiskey or Daisyroot Draught?" Sirius teased her while Katherine merely snorted while rolling her eyes.

"There's no way in bloody hell you would order that in front of me." Lily spoke bluntly as she leaned back against her seat, crossing her arms in disapproval.

"Or me!" I chimed in only to get skeptical looks all around.

How reassuring.

"Oh, yes, I am quite positive you would object passionately to your friends wanting to have a good time." I expected Lily to be angrier as she said this but a faint of smile was given away.

"Hey now," I gestured to everyone at the table "Butterbeer is plenty of enough for fun. Loads of fun. Never ending fun." Padfoot snorted at this while everyone else seemed to be exasperated.

"I'm a terrible drinker anyways." Almost immediately, Padfoot focused his attention on Katherine at this statement.

"A terrible drinker? What are you like…_when you have too much fun_?" His wording only made Lily give a frustrated sigh, but it was then I saw it.

I saw the same little smile.

She was enjoying herself but, as always, she could never admit it.

"Well," Katherine shifted her weight as she moved to take off her jacket "One time, Alden and Henry found me in their dorm—we were having a celebration in the Common Room for something stupid like someone had a lot of food so it just called for a party since that's all we Hufflepuffs do: share and eat—and somehow I stumbled in their dorm. Anyways, long story short, I found someone's dirty magazines and was getting angry because there was this spell advertised to make your penis bigger…"

"So, you got mad because you found out your mates were scoundrels for having smut laying around?" I asked as Padfoot chuckled while Lily looked highly uncomfortable, which made me feel bad because I didn't want her thinking that I had that stuff in my trunk.

I mean I did have it my trunk.

But that's beside the point.

"No, no, no," She waved her arms about "I got angry because I kept saying the spell over and over but my 'penis' wouldn't get large. Alden and Henry stumbled in pretty fucking tipsy themselves and I ended up yelling at them that my 'penis' wouldn't get large. Alden had to sit me down and explain that I didn't have a penis. He was so drunk though, so it was mainly like 'I have the penis, you have the gash.' I got so angry that I punched him in the face because I thought that he just didn't want to show me." Howls of laughter came from Padfoot while I fought hard to keep composure myself.

"That kind of reminds me of the time James was so piss drunk that he got angry because he said he wanted to join the Holyhead Harpies but Dorcas Meadowes told him that he was a fucking eejit. I…I…sorry, I can't stop laughing, but I still remember him yelling 'I'll show you! I'll join the Holyhead Harpies and when I catch the fucking snitch, I will mail that bloody snitch to you with a big FUCK YOU engraved on it!' It was so…so..." Padfoot was struggling to breathe while Katherine let out some unflattering laughter herself.

My face heated up as I looked at Lily, who gave me a bit of a smug look.

"Holyhead Harpies?" she asked not bothering to hide her smile this time.

"They've had a really good winning streak these last few years. I'm a big fan. Who wouldn't want to join the Harpies?" There was no shame in being a fan and there was certainly no shame in wanting to join the team.

Even if they were exclusively female.

"Hah," A disbelieving laugh came from Katherine "They have too much glory. Their plays have been terrible this season."

"Since you're physically disabled when it comes to Quidditch, I'll excuse that rubbish." I shot back at her, which made her mouth drop in both humor and shock.

"Oh, you'll excuse me? Oh, thank you very much, Mr. Potter. I'm very touched but I'm afraid that your team is still quite terrible this season." She leaned over Padfoot as she spoke to me.

"The season's barely started! They're off to a rough start. Don't tell me you're a Puddlemere fan?" I couldn't help but scoff because it was so typical for a Puddlemere fan to be so critical.

"A fan? Oh, no, I'm much more than a mere fan. Puddlemere United is my religion and I'll stand by it until I die." She pounded her first against her heart.

I couldn't believe that Padfoot was becoming infatuated with a _Puddlemere United dimwit_.

"If you could just tell me one reason why _Puddlemere,_" Just saying that word was horrid "Is better than the Harpies, I'll give you my broom. Hell, I'll even throw in my broom kit. Oh, but that's right, the Holyhead Harpies have the highest percentage of a winning streak than any other team…"

"That is because they've only been around for twenty five years! Let's not throw statistics into this, considering Puddlemere United is the _oldest _team in the league. And even so, their percentage of winning is _still_ in the top five." We were both now leaning over a somewhat uncomfortable Padfoot.

"James," Lily called to me "I didn't know you were such an avid Harpies fan, considering it's a team full of…"

"Women? Oh, Evans, love, their gender has nothing to do with how terrifying they are! I went to one of their big games last year—the one where Gennifer Holk punched the referee—and riots broke out. I was a believer in the Harpies ever since." Lily scrunched her nose at the pet name 'love' but nodded nonetheless.

"Gennifer Holk is a bloody terrible captain who just looks for excuses to fight! There is nothing honorable about it!" Katherine slammed her fist on the table as I stood up.

"Oh, you're just sore about how that Pennington bloke got suspended during the playoff game because he got into it with Holk…"

"That is because she started it. Went after like him like Julia Finnegan goes after men's pockets! He wasn't even a Seeker! He was just a Keeper who…" I cut her off before she could finish

"While it is true that Julia Finnegan has quite the business going on," Everyone laughed a bit as my thoughts went to the sixth year Ravenclaw who charged blokes for dates "Holk was all about tactics and your idiot Pennington fell for that. She knew that he was Keeper of the Year and she was going to make as much as a handicap as she could…"

"Exactly! She has no honor as a captain at all!" I was about to retort about how she punched her own team captain in the face last year but a server came up to us.

"What will it be, love?" she spoke quickly with little interest.

"Ah," Padfoot spoke for all of us "Just a round of Butterbeer."

The server nodded and walked off to the bar section while I was finally able to get my point in.

"You know what strikes me silly is that you're going on and on about honor while you went and knocked out Kirk last year. Practice what you preach." A snort of laughter came from Padfoot while Moony chuckled.

My eyes went briefly to Lily and a small bit of panic struck me.

She looked rather bored.

"Oh, come on! We both know that Kirk is worst captain! It's like he wants Abbott and me to chase his tail like little cheerleaders while he pitches all the goals while we _all_ know that I throw the most goals. He's fucking terrible and we all know it." Katherine crossed her arms as she slumped against her seat.

"But he's your captain, so if he's fucking terrible then are you atrocious?" Padfoot grinned at her while she rolled her eyes.

"Oh how your words hurt me so." Her tone was dry but she started to grin as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Looking down at the table, Padfoot smiled back as I tried to keep down the rest of my Butterbeer.

They were…

They were so disgustingly oblivious that it made me want to knock both of their heads with the cup in my hand.

"Here you go. Just give me a call if you want refills." The server roughly put down all of the tankards and quickly left before we could say anything else.

The frothy mugs of Butterbeer were distributed all around the table.

"I don't know why I order Butterbeer because it makes me sick half the time." Moony spoke softly as he cautiously sipped it.

He never did have the stomach for sweets.

Well, besides chocolate.

I'm pretty sure the reason he's never really dated is because he's waiting for the right girl to come around—a girl made out of chocolate that is.

"I'll drink the rest of yours if you can't finish it." The offer from Katherine made my nose wrinkle in disgust.

"It would have his spit in it. That is disgusting." I couldn't help but speak my mind.

"Is that so, mate? Does this," Padfoot picked up Katherine's drink "…Does this disgust you?" Before I could protest, he took a sip so big that the froth covered the tip of his nose.

"That is just cruel. I just…" I began to berate him but he then took a huge sip of mine.

Before I even got a sip of it myself.

Whatever.

It's not like I wanted it anyways.

"Looks like you've got two things of Butterbeer, mate." Cheers came from both Katherine and Padfoot as they started to down their drinks.

"To Puddlemere United!" Katherine's declaration rang around the table as Padfoot nodded his head in agreement.

"Here, here!" said Padfoot as he wiped his mouth.

They made a rough toast and then proceeded to polish off even more Butterbeer.

"Had I known you two would be so offensive I wouldn't have extended the invitation." For some reason, Lily found my complaint humorous since she began to laugh.

Just as I was going to ask about her thoughts on the situation, Katherine spoke up once more.

"Oh, it's not like I'm trying to defend the Chudley Cannons, at least give me that." I opened my mouth to debate further but when I thought it about it, she had a point.

"I suppose you're right. You could be much more belligerent and say that they're a wholesome team. Puddlemere is one thing but the Cannons? That's just a bloke's wishful thinking." Nods of agreement came from everyone except Lily, who instead looked a bit bored and somewhat lost.

"What teams do you like?" My question hung in the air without an answer for a long moment until she glanced at me.

"Oh, you're speaking to me? Well, I…uh, I'm not sure. I don't really follow Quidditch that intensely. I suppose the Holyhead Harpies are fun…"

"More like blood-thirsty traitors." Katherine muttered under her breath to which Lily smiled apologetically.

"I think it's empowering for a whole team of women to be united like that." I nodded at Lily's explanation maybe a bit too enthusiastically because Moony gave me a skeptical look.

I merely shrugged and played it off but I couldn't help it.

My passion for the Holyhead Harpies could not be contained.

"Oh, I agree with that part. It's the decade for powerful women, yes I couldn't agree any more. Oh but Hulda Grimes…"

"Oh, no you don't! Speaking poorly about Gennifer Holk was bad enough but I stand hundred percent behind Grimes! You take that back!"

"I rather like the Chudley Cannons." Both Katherine and I gave Padfoot incredulous looks to which he shrugged off.

"It's not like I expect them to win but it's kind of adorable how they try, really." Well, he made a valid point as well.

You really had to be strong to wake up and get out of bed despite the fact you played for Chudley Cannons.

"I feel bad whenever I see a Cannons fan. I don't have the heart to even make the slightest fun of them. Instead I just want to ask them how they have so much hope. They're some of the most optimistic people I've ever met." Katherine's tankard was empty by now and she raised her hand for another.

The rest of the meal went rather well.

Except for the fact that Katherine went on with her Puddlemere antics, but that was somewhat expected.

Before we knew it, an hour had well passed by. I had gotten so caught up with comparing the stats of Holk with the stats of the captain from Puddlemere United that Padfoot had to point out they had other things to do today.

They left as sudden as they came.

It was once again just Lily and I.

I looked at her to see that she had gotten more homework out.

"So," I broke the silence "What is that you're working on?" She gave me an expression that I couldn't read.

Which only made me feel like an insecure little first year.

"Potions." Her tone was a bit curt.

What did I do this time?

"I was thinking we could maybe…"

"James, maybe I should just go. I mean we haven't gotten much studying done and I wasn't under the impression that your friends were going to come by. You're being really tense around me and maybe," She paused as she moved out of her seat "Maybe you should go catch up with them since I don't want to hold you back from…"

Without thinking, I grabbed her hand before she could walk away any further. She froze for a moment and looked at the ground.

For sure, I thought she was going to hit me but when she looked at me, the most incredible feeling soared through my body.

"Let's go look for some new quills." This was the first suggestion to come mind, as stupid as it was.

And then I slowly let go of her hand, letting her decide.

She stood still for a moment before speaking.

"The tips of my quills kept breaking last week…"

When we left the Three Broomsticks all I could think about was if I'd ever actually seen Lily Evans blush like that before.

As hard I tried to search my mind, I really couldn't think of any other time where she looked like that.

With that one look alone, I truly understood what it meant to be besotted with someone.

* * *

**Holy shit you guys hi. Do people still read this? Well I am actually being organized and I have chapters written ahead so I can start posting regularly. I am also looking for a beta-reader because I believe it is good to have two beta-readers. I know of the beta reader feature on here, I am just looking to you guys first since you might have a better feel for the story. I just need someone who catches punctuation, typos and grammar really. My other beta reader works with plot development with me. Anyways, if interested please pm me! Next chapter (which is half way done) is the continuation of the Hogsmeade trip! We'll hear from our leading ladies in the next chapter. xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxopeepeepenisxoxoxoxoox ox- Bobby**


	7. Spintwitches and Scrivenshaft's

_**Sirius**_

It was unbelievable how much of this day had become utterly boring.

I was well aware of Katherine being fun and spontaneous but, Merlin, she certainly knew how to be uninteresting as well.

Currently, her, Moony and I were in the small bookshop across from Madam Puddifoot's, which was currently decorated with pink jack-o'-lanterns.

Katherine made sure to pose next to one with a man's face carved into as she fake cried about her boyfriend becoming a pumpkin and being brutally mutilated.

All right, so, she wasn't really boring.

But I didn't think she would get so caught up with talking to Moony about books—apparently she read _a lot_—or debating with Prongs over Quidditch.

I didn't know she was a loon for those team rivalries as well.

They talked for over an _hour _about how Gennifer Holk spit in the rival player's direction so that their vision would be obscured.

I swear Prongs was going to start crying at one moment, he was getting that passionate.

All in all, while the day certainly had its moments of interest, I just felt like I was somewhat excluded out of my own plans.

Bored, I wandered around the small shop weaving in and out of its crooks and nannies.

It was certainly diverse for its size, considering it covered topics from decapitation to how to train an owl to fight off mail censorship, which was apparently a growing problem in Eastern Europe.

I then spotted the familiar brown head, which still had bits of leaves in it, and slowly crept up behind her.

Even though the floorboards creaked, she paid no mind and continued to skim through pages of the book.

Ah, was that…

_Oh it was_.

I caught a glimpse of something that was perhaps a bit erotic.

I carefully walked closer as I tried to get a glimpse of her expression.

Was she a secret smut lover?

Was that what she and Moony were so interested in talking about?

That devious grin on her face, however, told me otherwise.

"_And he took his wand out as he seductively whispered 'Engorgio'…_" I read aloud over her shoulder. She immediately jumped and the book fell to the ground.

We both quickly bent down to get it only to bump our heads together. She let out a small string of swear words as she picked up the book by its spine.

"Why on earth are you reading smut?" My question was met with a big smile as she moved her finger to her lips, signaling for me to lower my voice.

"I want to plant it in Alden's bag and charm the cover to look like his Transfiguration text book. I've been trying to find the raunchiest, silliest, and most disgusting one." I couldn't help but grin as I helped her back up from the ground.

"That is so brilliant. Thinking outside of the box with that prank. Using sources other than Zonkos, I completely respect that." Taking the book from her, I began to skim through it myself.

Oh, it had pictures for every sex scene.

_It was fantastic._

"The problem is," A huge sigh heaved out of her "I'm not that great with transfiguring things. So, he'll probably see through it. I want him to be completely shocked as he opens it to see a giant, hairy…"

"I can do it. If you buy this, I'll take it with me and charm it for you." She quickly beamed at my offer but then suddenly frowned.

"But what's in it for you?" The book was tightly clutched against her chest.

What a suspicious look.

It was almost…endearing.

"You'd owe me a stupid favor in the feature. It wouldn't be a big favor, just something small." Moving her head side to side, she weighed the pros and cons for precisely two seconds before nodding her head.

"You'll soon figure out asking favors from me is useless because I'm pretty incapable of things in general, but I will take you up on that. Come on, let's go buy it!" She brushed past me and scurried to the desk.

As she bought the book, I started to look for Moony, which didn't take long.

He managed to find books on lycanthropy and he was browsing them intensively.

"Your furry little problem seems to be a bit calmer these days." I thought aloud to which he nodded, not taking his eyes off the books.

"I'm thinking it has to do with phases of puberty or something along the lines of that." He took a book from the shelf and quickly glanced at the summary before making a displeased face.

"Most of these are rubbish." He muttered as he shelved the book back to where it originally was.

"Well, Katherine is making her purchase so I'm going to go wait outside." I shoved my hands in pockets as I started to walk away but Moony spoke up quickly.

"I can…" He paused as he searched for what I presumed to be the right words "I can make myself scarce if that's what you prefer."

"Moony," I looked over my shoulder as I tried on my best admonishing look "We've been over this. You are a thrill. We are all having fun. Unless you want to be brood alone for the rest of the day—and believe me we all need to brood sometimes—I suggest you hurry along so we can find something to eat."

"I just feel like I'm imposing…" I held my finger up to cut him off.

"If you leave now, Katherine will probably feel like she did something wrong. That is what anyone would think typically anyways. And stop being so self-conscious. You've been having a ball today. I haven't seen you this relaxed in quite awhile." The truth was that he always seemed to relax on Hogsmeade trips but it was more evident this time given with how surly he had been lately.

"Alright then." He murmured as he turned back to the books, but I could tell he still felt unsure about the whole day.

Then again, I think everyone had felt uneasy at some point.

For me, it was most likely more so than anyone else.

When I stepped out of the store, I noticed Katherine was sitting on the bench a few feet down from the entrance.

She held the mysterious bag of smut with her, grinning that small, devilish grin.

"Remus is taking his time. Thinks he's imposing, whatever that means. So he can stall as long as he wants but I say we just wait for him so we can ambush him." I took a seat next to her as she laughed lightly at my plan.

"Sounds fair to me. If anything, I feel like I've been the one has been intrusive." Her tone was light but it had hint of anxiety of it.

I looked down to see her hands clenched as her eyes darted around with worry.

"You? Oh, heavens no. You really hit a good topic with James earlier. He enjoyed talking with you, I could tell. And Remus? He's been having a good day today. He's needed it too. He coops himself up too much. If you can make him genuinely laugh—which I think you have accomplished—then he's a pretty solid friend." I kicked my legs out in front of me as I leaned against the bench, trying to get as comfortable as possible.

"But I feel like I disturbed the date that James and Lily Evans had…"

"Pfft," A snort blew out of my nose "That wasn't a date. Well, in Lily's terms of a date, it was not a date. If that makes sense."

"I…I suppose?" She was lost so I elaborated further.

"Lily has a big heart but she also has a lot of pride. It's pretty apparent she fancies the hell out of James or at least wouldn't mind snogging him but she would never admit it so soon. James, at this point, is convinced that he only has one chance left and is stretching it out as long as he can. So, he didn't mind us showing up. In fact, he probably appreciated it. He gets really nervous around her." I looked at her out of the corner of my eye to see that she was clutching herself tightly.

Seeing how her jacket was a bit thin, it appeared she was freezing her bum off.

"You okay?" My breath fogged up from the crisp air to which she nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm really having a lot of fun. I never…well I never have hung out with such nice people before." She looked down at ground as she kicked a few pebbles around.

Her body was still shivering for heaven's sake.

"Here," I shrugged off my own coat and handed it to her "Do me a favor and hold onto this. I get warm easily."

She took the coat and put it next to her, which made me sigh greatly.

"No, no, no," I leaned over and took the coat "You wear it. That's the only efficient way to look after it."

"Oh, but I couldn't possibly…"

"Wright, out of all times to be shy, you've chosen this moment? You've donned me the Black Crusader, so let me be a gentleman." I handed her the coat once more but this time she was hesitant.

"I really don't need…"

"If you refuse one more time, I will purposefully buy Puddlemere tickets just so I can tear them up in front of you." While I spoke candidly, I couldn't help but crack a smile.

The look she gave me was priceless.

I never saw someone slip on a coat in such a hurry.

"That is a cruel threat, but it's very effective. I view that team like I would view my future children." She sniffed as she crossed her arms, which she struggled to do so since the arms were so long on her to begin with.

"But all of the members are older than you." Reasoning with her was a bit of a task.

"Does not matter. If I saw any one of them, Pennington especially, I would encourage them to rest on my bosom and tell them how much Mama Wright loves them." Katherine looked up at the sky with a grin.

It was just nice to be around a really cheerful person like her.

"I hope for their sake that they never do a meet and greet around you." Now my own arms were crossed as I felt the harsh breeze gently nip at me but at least I put on a better front than Katherine.

"Oh, I hope so too. I think they would all find me so unsettling that they would take an early retirement due to the emotional trauma." A loud laugh erupted out of me as she too laughed.

"Why haven't we talked before this year? I've kept asking myself that all week." Until a few weeks ago, I had little idea as to who she was.

"Because you're Sirius Black and I'm Katherine Wright. Your group of friends encompasses the whole school while I've been stuck with these two stupid Hufflepuffs for the last six years. Even before that, really. I've known Kirk since birth practically. Alden came along when we were about five or six. It's a wonder how we all got in the same house. Normally childhood friends get separated." Imagining a baby Kirk made me uncomfortable because all I thought was the giant head Katherine had given him last week transplanted on a baby's body.

"I'm quite certain we've had classes before. Why didn't we talk then?" She only shrugged at this and then gave somewhat of an explanation.

"Maybe it's because you never looked at the right side of the room while I never looked at the left side. You had your friends. I had mine. Adolescence is kind of strange like that."

"I went on a date with a Hufflepuff once, so it's not like I've never branched out to other houses. I'm not asking why I never noticed Hufflepuffs. I'm asking why I never noticed _you_." For some reason, this question surprised her so she gave it some deeper thought.

"I…I guess I just never tried to get your attention. I don't know. That's a strange question." She threw her hands up in the air as she gave another shrug with the jacket sleeves flopping everywhere.

"I wish you did. I'm quite sure we would be the best of friends right now if you did." Her foot slid across the loose pebbles as she quickly shook her head.

"Sirius," She looked up at me with a soft expression "I personally believe that people always meet at the right time, contrary to the popular belief. There's a reason we just met this year. Trust me, you would have thought I was so irritating if we talked during our third year. Actually, I think you and James snickered at my granny panties that got flashed during fourth year." Oh shit, I had no recollection of that.

"I am so sorry, Katherine. I was just being stupid because…" I started to apologize but she just laughed.

"It's okay because Alden and I used to start betting pools on your relationships."

Wait, what?

"Excuse me? I've only been in three or four relationships! And all of them turned out to be mad!" My thoughts went to my first girlfriend, Louisa, who was more interested in parading me around rather than being a companion.

I still had terrifying flashbacks whenever I walked past Madam Puddifoot's.

"Well, we certainly weren't under that impression. All of these girls during fifth year would gossip about how you had a new conquest every week…"

"That was a bloody lie! It was all of Claire Bennett's doing! She was angry that I broke up with her—she had a penchant for stealing my pants—and so she started spreading the most bizarre rumors. It quickly got out of hand." Even though it was horrid, hearing Katherine laugh about it made the whole experience worth the story.

"Speaking of which, I think Alden owes me on the break up you had with Lulu. I bet for a longer outcome than he did." I wasn't sure if I should have been offended or honored that she held out for the longer outcome.

"How much money did you bet on it?" I asked her as another cold breeze blew past us.

I was starting to regret giving her my jacket, but I couldn't let onto that.

"Oh, we never bet money. It was Chocolate Frog cards but Alden isn't really interested in those anymore…Things are really different now." A wistful sigh emitted from her as she started to stare into the distance.

"Tell me about it. I can't eat at my house table without being harassed." The image of Marlene glaring at me floated in my head, which only made me want to hit something.

"You see," She turned towards me with a somewhat serious expression "That is why I've never dated anyone. People go crazy in relationships. Well, at least one person does. Believe it or not, Henry used to be a decent person. When he started dating Mary, who is first real girlfriend, he just…got all loony."

"Decent? What makes someone decent in your opinion? Because I just cannot see him as a nice, normal, human being.." I scoffed at the idea of Kirk being amicable because I'd only seen him act like a prat.

"He used to be fun. He loved role-playing games, actually. He'd always make Alden and me play even though we'd constantly get it wrong. He'd strike a conversation with anyone. I don't know what happened. He just…maybe it was puberty. He's always had a really strong sense of justice, which actually tends to be a bit skewed. He hates you so much because that Marlene girl would constantly worry about you breaking up with her. Apparently, he thought you never tried or anything." In that instant, the calm mood vanished.

I tried to fight the growing irritation within me but it was starting to leak out.

"None of that is true, though! I really fancied her at one point! She just dragged the whole relationship down with her clinginess and…"

"It just sounds like a bad match is all. To be frank, Sirius, I really don't give a fuck if you tore her heart out and ate it with a glass of fine wine. I won't question your side, so…ah shit, I sounded really bitchy right then. Sorry. I just believe you're a good person." She awkwardly patted me on the head, wearing that unsure smile.

"You're not so bad, Wright." I returned the smile to which she nodded.

"You're okay, I guess." She tried keeping a straight face but her face kept twitching.

Finally, she allowed a smile.

"Is it weird that I really want us to be good friends?" I spoke earnestly, not wanting to beat around the bush any further.

"No," Her timid smile stretched into a lazy grin "It sounds pretty nice, actually. You have good taste in sweets."

"Yours is…questionable, but I respect it." I decided on that fact when she willingly bit an Acid Pop in half.

How she survived that, I would never know.

"'Lo, sorry." Moony approached us as he held his hands up in apology.

"Oh, it's okay. We were just gossiping like the twats that we are. We feed off of secrets, I tell you. What's in the bag?" Katherine stood up and walked over to Moony so that she could peer inside the bag in question.

"Nothing too interesting. Just a strange interest I have." Moony's lie was clear as day to me, but he was pretty convincing with everyone else it seemed.

Katherine flipped through the pages of the book with her brow furrowed in extreme interest.

The cover had a grotesque illustration of a werewolf on the front, which was amusing because it didn't resemble a real one.

"My dad's a Mediwizard. He was called one day to help transport a person who was bitten by a werewolf. He said that person didn't fully show signs of transforming into a one. He was very lucky apparently, but he said that even so, the person still went through a lot of changes in their body that looked painful. I guess it's good to read up on things we don't understand since there's talk of You-Know-Who recruiting dark creatures and what not." I nodded as I glanced at Moony, who looked a bit uncomfortable.

"I, uh, I've read up on vampires." My lie was quick and terrible but Katherine didn't seem to care since she started to talk about what she read on them.

I, myself, was relieved she didn't start asking me questions about vampires because my expertise was lacking in that area.

"Well then," Katherine stretched her arms as she handed the book back to Moony "Where to next? I vote nay on Honeydukes since we were there not too long ago."

I got a curious look from Moony to which I ignored, not wanting him to make any weird conclusions in front of Katherine.

"You can never have too many Cauldron Cakes." I tried to persuade her but she only laughed as she waved her hand at me.

"I swear you will make me gain a stone by the end of this week if you keep making go to Honeydukes and the Kitchens." She started to walk in front of us, unaware of Moony's face lighting up as if clockwork was ticking in his head.

"The Kitchens, hm?" He whispered as he neared towards my side

"Don't even say anything." I muttered through my teeth as he chuckled softly.

Katherine was now a foot ahead of us, nearing in on a stall vendor. As she started to browse through the cheap trinkets, Moony spoke to me once more.

"You fancy her." It wasn't a question or a suggestion.

He stated it like it was a fact.

"Pfft, no I don't." Apparently I wasn't convincing enough because all he did was give me that stupid, fucking, smirk.

"Don't look at me like that." My attempt at being intimidating was poor seeing how he only laughed once more.

"You should have left me alone in the book shop so you two could have more alone time." It then hit me that he wasn't feeling awkward about being around us; he was trying to set us up.

"Moony, as much as I am touched by your romantic side, I assure you that is _nothing_ of that nature between us. I don't know how to convince you otherwise." We both watched her play with a little music box only to have the spinning figurine fall off, which she quickly flung across the road as she slammed the box shut.

"Sirius, if anything, I am more convinced than I was yesterday that you fancied Katherine Wright. You're just too dense to see it."

"Maybe _you're_ the one who fancies her because you keep talking about fancying her and…" Moony's laughter drowned out the rest of my sentence.

"She's a lot of fun and very kind, but something tells me that we would be a disastrous couple. Don't try to turn this around on me. You're completely smitten, mate." Before I could protest any further, Katherine paced towards us very quickly.

"Quick, quick, quick," Her urging was frantic "I just broke five things at that stall and he still hasn't noticed."

We ended up speed walking to one of the main squares, which was congested with various Hogwarts students.

Originally, the plan was to head to Spintwitches but we got distracted when some of the Gryffindor Quidditch team members came from the same direction we were headed in.

"Oi, it's Sirius and his loony girlfriend!" Gibbs shouted at us as he started to head towards us with Julian Hall and Other James behind him.

An involuntary cringe shuddered throughout my body as I tried to prepare for the worst.

"Fuck…" I said under my breath right before I put on a sappy smile "What's happening, my fellow men?"

"Oh, nothing much, just picking up supplies for practice on Tuesday. You really got a pair on you, don't you mate? Going out with a girl publically without worrying about McKinnon." Gibbs jabbed me with his elbow as he spoke of Katherine as if she wasn't there.

"Actually, all three of us are on a date. We all have been dying to practice polygamy." My eyes immediately widened as Katherine kept a calm façade, ignoring the sputtering Moony next to her.

"That is…that is a bit strange, I must admit…" He was trying to hide his laughter but Gibbs was a pretty poor liar to begin with.

"Wait, then who is in the middle when you're shagging?" Ah, leave it to Other James to ask the important questions.

"You dolts! Don't listen to her nonsense. We're bloody hanging out. It's not a fucking date, you fucking idiots." Bouts of laughter came from them in return while the three of us continued an awkward silence.

"Have you seen James? You should tell him that the new broom models have come out." The quiet suggestion came from Hall, who was the youngest on the team and also the most eager.

"Afraid I can't. He's on a date." I said without thinking, which would quickly prove to blow up in my face.

"Really? With who?" Gibbs spoke for them all while I merely shrugged, trying to downplay it.

"Can't be with Lily, no…was it Alberta Higgins? She's been eyeing him lately, she is quite the…" But before Other James could finish, another person immediately barged in their group.

"You fucking imbeciles were supposed reserve me a spot in line at Spintwitches. They're all sold out of the sale items, which I see that you all stocked up on. I cut my date short for this, you know. Merlin, I am going to tear your tiny, little, bum into…"

"Shove some cotton up your growler, Meadowes. We waited and waited but you took too fucking long." Other James's _soothing _words only set Dorcas off even more.

Her letting off a tirade of insults made the perfect opportunity for us to sneak off but just as I was about to put that plan into action, someone yelled at all of us from afar.

"Oi! Did any of you pick anything up from the sale at Spintwitches?" Normally, I would have been happy to see my best mate but instead, I felt oddly irritated.

I just couldn't really explain why, but for some reason it really bothered me seeing Katherine looking at the ground with disinterest.

"Well, hello there, Captain! We managed to pick up the things you asked for. Here is your change," Gibbs handed Prongs a handful of coins "And I heard about the date, you scoundrel."

"Oh, that's odd because I didn't know I was on a date. Me? Date Lily? That's preposterous. We're just friends, see?" I half expected Prongs to let his joy show through, but he surprisingly remained collected while Lily looked a bit perturbed. Both of them were carrying bags from Scrivenshaft's.

Part of me cringed at the thought of Prongs showing me all the quills he bought today.

Normally, small things didn't impress him, but when it came to Lily Evans, every memento was worth it.

"James, tell these sodding twats they owe me some bloody wax!" We all looked towards the red-faced Dorcas, who was pulling on one of Gibbs's ears.

"Dorcas, if you want, I'll go with you." The offer from Lily was hesitant but she looked a bit stressed with the situation.

"So, if you're on a date, why didn't you double date with Sirius and his girl over there?" A huge urge to slam my head on the nearby wall suddenly overcame me while Prongs tried to think of a way to answer Other James.

"I'll have you know that my name is Tilly." What? Oh fuck, this was the worst time for Katherine's shenanigans.

"Wait, wait, wait," Of course Dorcas had to hear "First you're with some Katie girl and now a Tilly? What in the fucking hell? I should just bash your head in on this very street and…"

"For fuck's sake, Katherine! Don't pull that shit with these blokes. They're too fucking dense to see that you're shitting around!" I had tried to sound stern but I ended up losing my straight face as Katherine grinned at me.

"Tell Lulu that Sirius takes both of us to bed _at the same time_." She winked at Dorcas, which only made her blink in response.

"Who the fuck is Lulu? Anyways," Dorcas walked until she was face to face with Katherine "So you're the infamous Hufflepuff I've been hearing about. You're a lot prettier than Marlene described."

"Dorcas!" Lily admonished but Dorcas only shrugged indifferently.

"What? Marlene said that she had unruly eyebrows but they're no unrulier than mine…which means she probably thinks _my _eyebrows are unruly." She pounded her fist against her hand as she drew this conclusion.

"I think you have lovely eyebrows if that's any consolation." Now Katherine looked completely calm, except I could see her fingers wriggling about in anticipation.

"Oh, why thank you! I've tried growing them out but that can be a hassle. I never know when to stop plucking so sometimes they're rather bare. Thank you, though. That was awfully nice of you. You're not so bad."

No fucking way.

All I had to do was compliment Meadowes on her fucking eyebrows and I would have been on her good side?

I wish I knew that during our second year.

"So, what do you see in Black? Because all I see is a little lapdog that follows this idiot around." Nodding towards Prongs, Dorcas gave a brief, disgusted, look and then turned back towards Katherine with a grin.

"Oh, we're not seeing each other. The three of us are all planning our marriage. Do you want to join our covenant?" A surprised chuckle came from Dorcas while Katherine merely smiled, trying to hide her discomfort with the whole situation.

It made sense why she was so insane when we first met because it was most likely that she was nervous.

Then again, she said the most ridiculous things in the company of friends as well, so there really wasn't any explanation for that.

"You have a sense of humor as well. Hm, well, I wouldn't waste time on Black but suit yourself. James, you better tell those two little eejits that they owe me some fucking wax." She turned her attention back to Prongs, who only held his hands up in defense.

"I'm sure they got enough for everyone, Dorcas." He assured her but she only snorted in disbelief.

"'Fraid we didn't. We only got enough for the whole team except her. It was a strange mistake, really." If I said that, it would have been cute, but it was only annoying when Gibbs said it.

Or maybe I was just itching to go.

"It's a rare opportunity that we're all together willingly. Well, most of us anyways. Show me what you got in the bag and maybe we can form a quick play if I get everyone's input..." The bag was snatched from Hall and handed to Prongs, who inspected it with delicacy.

"Bloody hell, I have to go meet with Andrew. I told him I would only take fifteen minutes but it's already been twenty!"

"Yeah, sorry James but we wanted to go to Honeydukes…"

"You should just show us in the Common Room!"

"Yeah, that…"

"Oh of course, but then all of you will show up late to practice and complain that you didn't know it was on Tuesday even though practices are always on fucking Tuesdays. Now, all of you gather here." For some reason, people just seemed to listen to Prongs. I mean I could get people to listen to me pretty well, but Prongs could walk into a class and give a professor detention and somehow, that would all make sense because he was James Potter.

I kept looking for opportunities to sneak away, but before I knew it, Prongs swung his arm around me as he huddled the rest of the team together.

"Lily, this will only take a moment." He spoke over his shoulder while Lily simply rolled her eyes but, surprisingly, she stayed put.

"Couldn't you just sneak something into the Slytherins' breakfast on the day of the match? It would saved us all of the extensive practicing." Even though Other James appeared to be joking, something told all of us he was actually quite serious.

"Are we not Gryffindors? I'm sorry, Other James, but I don't recall seeing a fucking badger on your robes. Now here is what I have planned…" And that was when he lost me. He went off on a long, overly detailed play while I just looked over his shoulder at Katherine, who smiled warmly at me.

It was such a timid smile though.

I could see the call for help in her eyes.

"Prongs, hold on. I think see a mistake in this whole idea. You see," I stepped out of the circle as I made wild gestures with my hands "We should move…diagonally, yes! We should move diagonally in a parallel fashion but remember to keep our unity as we…" I walked backwards towards Katherine while everyone stared as if I just became a Deatheater.

"As we fight to keep our sacred honor pure! All right, now what a talk that was! If you would excuse us, we have some knitting to do!" I don't know what came over me, really.

I just know that I grabbed Katherine's hand and took off down the street in the opposite direction.

Wild laughter filled the air as Katherine called after me with amused bewilderment.

My name kept coming out of her mouth but I just pressed forward, turning corner after corner until we met a dead end in an alley.

"What in the fucking fuck was that?" Her chest heaved as she gasped for breath.

"I figured you were bored." That was the first thing that came to mind.

"So you make me run a bloody mile? And you call me the loony one. Honestly, though, I was fine." Her small body slumped to ground as she rested her back against the wall.

"Well, I wasn't. I see those blokes everyday and well, I don't know…it was nice when it was just the tw…the three of us." Silently, I prayed that she didn't think I was going to say two.

Because I wasn't.

It was just a slip of the tongue because Moony was so quiet half the time so it felt like…

"Smaller groups tend to be nicer in general. Though, I didn't mind drinking at The Three Broomsticks with your friends. That Meadowes girl really threw me for a loop though. Henry mentioned that she was a bit intense, but he didn't exactly let on how fucking unstable she was. I like her though."

"She's alright." Silence replaced conversation for the next minute as we awkwardly stared at one another.

"So," I tried to think of something interesting to say, "You really want to give that whole knitting thing a go?"

* * *

_**Lily**_

How did I even get into this situation?

A few days ago, I simply agreed to study and yet here I was patiently waiting for James Potter to finish to talking about bloody Quidditch.

Part of me felt like bolting off like Sirius did, except it would have looked less romantic if it were just me running away like a loon.

"Well, I'll be sure to tell Sirius about the genius play we came up with…"

"That _you _came up with, you mean." Dorcas's correction rang out in a bored tone.

"Still genius, though. Also, I'll be taking this." He grabbed the bag of broom supplies from the boys despite their protests.

"Oi! You fucking…"

"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I were you, Hubbard, or you'll get additional laps." As James turned away from the group, Other James flipped him the two fingers only to be hit with a stinging hex.

"Don't be so cheeky on Tuesday!" His warning was lighthearted but the welt on Other James's eye said otherwise.

"What happened to the man who was boasting about what a good saint he was?" My cheeks burned slightly as he leaned his face towards mine, evading my question.

"You want me to carry that for you, Evans?" His voice was soft, which only infuriated me even further because I blushed against my will.

Since when did Potter speak like that?

This wasn't some poor excuse of a romance novel.

And he certainly wasn't that chivalrous today, what with the obsession with Quidditch and the usual arrogance.

He could make interesting conversation, yes, but that was something many people could do!

And if he thought that grabbing my hand like that in the pub would have made me swoon, he was wrong because all it did was…

"Well, since you're not answering, I'll assume your answer is no." His shoulder brushed against me as he turned towards the busier street.

As he shrugged off his coat, I saw how much he had changed since he was an eleven-year-old boy. He was so small, frail really, but now I watched him roll up sleeves to reveal very prominent forearms.

It was maddening because I couldn't very well deny that he was handsome.

All of the girls in Gryffindor started noticing him around our third year and it wasn't like I was some exception.

However, that didn't change the fact that he was a conceited, bullying cad who thought himself much better than other people.

Even though I knew all of this, why was I getting so worked up because of him?

Normally, keeping my composure was such an easy task for me, but with him, it was impossible.

And I loathed him for it.

"If you're mad about that stinging hex, I'm sorry. I get caught up with that lot and their antics." Hazel flecks glinted against the midday sun, capturing an expression I'd never really seen him use before.

"I mean I'm not really surprised. There really isn't anything different from you acting like an arrogant jerk." I didn't know why I was so angry.

It wasn't like James Hubbard was really innocent since he flung hexes at underclassmen all the time, but I just felt really aggravated since Sirius and his group decided to join us for lunch.

It was infuriating because James didn't suddenly morph into the sodding prick he was when he was with his group of friends.

No, instead, he became very amicable and…well, entertaining. I had never seen him get so childishly excited over something like he did with that Katherine Wright.

He was clever and bantered with her in such a way that I never expected to come from him.

Foolishly, I thought he was pretty comfortable with me when it was just the two of us studying, but he lit up in such a way and it wasn't just for his group of friends, but another girl.

To me, it seemed like he had this sexist view of women and just thought of them nothing more than potential girlfriends, but obviously he didn't speak to Katherine that way.

And even with the dumb stinging hex, he spoke to his teammates in a really enthusiastic way that I, again, never really encountered.

Surprisingly, it never occurred to me that he actually cared so intensely about things other than making a name for himself.

"Bloody hell!" He cursed at me as he threw his head back "I don't know what I did, Lily! I'm sorry for the stinging hex but Other James had his wand drawn, okay? I didn't want to tell you that part because I didn't want to revoke points from our house, but okay! Twenty points from Gryffindor because we both acted like absolute cads!"

"I don't give a damn about the stupid hex! I just…you…you never act like yourself around me and I don't know what to think of that!" People from around us were giving us curious looks.

The flush on my cheeks deepened as other students started to whisper to one another.

"I…come on," His hand interlocked with mine as he swiftly pulled me through a few crowds until we found an emptier street.

We stopped in front of a small grocer's with him letting go of my hand. Tucking his coat under his arm, he shoved his hands in his pockets as he contemplated over something for a moment.

"I just wish that you would talk to me with ease like you do with everyone else. We're not on a date so you don't need to impress me and…"

"I don't fucking understand any of this, Lily. I am completely lost because I _am_ acting like myself around you, or at least I thought I was. Apparently, you know how I feel better than I do…"

"Don't pull that on me, _Potter_. All of these sudden apologies for tormenting other students when that's all you've been doing since you've gotten to Hogwarts? How in the world am I supposed to believe that? That you…"

"Because it's true, alright? Do you think of me that badly? Do you honestly think I just obsess over how to turn a group of second years in Puffskeins? I am capable of regret. Did you know that? Did you know that a person could possibly want to be different than they used to be?" For the first time, I saw James Potter loose some of his composure.

Various emotions flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth, his jawline becoming tight.

"You've never really given me much to go from other than that, honestly." My back straightened as I looked up at him, trying to look as defiant as I could.

If he thought he could get a rise out of me, he was sorely mistaken.

"You've never given me a chance to act other than that! Not until we were forced to spend time together, did you see that—oh I don't know—I'm a human being who has quite the range of emotions. How absurd, right?" His glasses slid down the bridge of his nose as he made wild movements with his hands.

"Why should I have given you a chance? From the moment that you decided that you fancied me, you've only given me grief! Every boyfriend I've had, you've bullied them to no end! And even male friends! That's something that wasn't possible for me! Maybe if you hadn't pushed Severus so far, he wouldn't have…"

"You think that was just about you? Believe it or not, I have _many _reasons for not liking Snape. He's a cowardly, conniving, little, creep who hides behind his oh-so big Slytherin friends while looking down on everyone else. You think I'm a monster for a few dungbombs or for overgrowing someone's eyebrows? Did you see what he and his little friends did to that Muggleborn last year? Did you forget that? Did…"

"NO! I DIDN'T…"Tears brimmed my eyes as I tried to calm down "I _didn't _forget that. I am _not_ defending what he did. It's just that if maybe you weren't so quick to vilify them, maybe they would have…"

"Don't you see, Lily? Most of that lot was raised on the notion of looking down on us. To Snape you were more and more of an exception as time went by. He never saw you as a friend like you saw him. I'm not defending some of my actions because I was a bit of shithead and still probably am, but I do not carry much sympathy for a poor excuse of a man like him." His voice was still stern but fell to a softer tone as he stood over me, making sure passersby didn't see me crying.

My hands furiously wiped my eyes as I took his words in—words that I knew to be true.

I, myself, had come to the same conclusion awhile back but, in the midst of anger, I threw that accusation at him just to see him fumble.

What was happening to me that made me this way around him?

I just could not fathom it.

"It's just confusing because you're saying that he never saw me as a mere friend but have you ever just tried befriending me? You went from zero curiosity to a sudden, overwhelming, interest in who I was. Until our third year, you never really bothered to talk to me. Afterwards, you pursued me like I was a new broom or something! You've never accepted that maybe I just never want to date you. And if you truly understood that, then you would just loose complete interest in meand act as if I didn't exist." Swallowing hard, I tried to calm my heart down.

His eyebrows knitted themselves together as he let my words sink in.

"Realistically, I am very well aware that we'll never date. I'm not that much of a hopeless bloke." His chuckle was a bit dry "However, I am still very interested in being your friend. I don't know how much you believe me when I say that, but that is my honest intent."

"So, you weren't under the impression that this was a date?" We looked at each other in silence for a long moment before he replied.

"I may have gotten my hopes up, but I won't do that anymore. You're right. It's not fair to you. Let's start over fresh, Evans. If you forget that I was such an arrogant, bullying, toe rag then I'll forget that time where you hexed the pants off of Parkinson. I saw that you know." The tension seemed to disappear out of nowhere as I grew confused.

How was it that simple for him to suddenly accept what I had been saying for years?

"He made a real nasty comment about Mary after the whole ordeal during our fifth year. It was childish but I lost my temper. And you just want to be friends? You're not reading into this too much, are you?" My skepticism was met with a gentle smile as he slowly shook his head.

"I swear on it. We can make an unbreakable vow if you want to." He winked at me to which I snorted.

"Don't joke about that. Some people really do make those vows." My chiding was met with a shrug.

Both of us started to move once more, but this time with no specific designation in mind.

"Well, how do you suppose that my parents have been together for so long? It's a tradition for marriages to use that vow in the Wizarding world." Harsh wind brushed against my shocked face.

I don't know if I could ever marry a Wizard other than a Muggleborn if that was the case.

"I'm joking, Lily. Maybe some pureblood fanatics do that to ensure _extremely pure _blood," The word _pure _came out like acid was poured onto his tongue "But most of us have common sense."

"What are magical marriages like?" I found myself changing the subject without thinking.

Part of me cringed as I expected some hokey line in response.

_You could find out if you married me, Evans_

_I don't know. What to find out what it's like?_

_Maybe our children can tell us a few years from now._

"They're alright. Depends if the people who are getting married are fun. You should ask Sirius, he's been to a few dreadful ones because gloom and doom is kind of what his family is all about." After he said that, we walked in a comfortable silence as I processed what the hell just happened.

For once, it seemed like I was being the irrational one instead of him.

He never did allude to us being on a date at all.

Instead, it was I that drew very big conclusions and well now…

Now I felt rather silly for getting so worked up over nothing.

"I don't know what you're thinking but I feel like we could use some sweets." James nodded towards Honeydukes.

For the past two years, I had made a bit of conscious effort to watch what I had been eating but…

Maybe just one Sugar Quill wouldn't hurt.

* * *

**Okay so I lied about Katherine's POV being in this chapter but originally, the chapter got to be almost forty pages so I decided to cut things in half. Chapter Eight should be up in a couple of days due to this. Anyways, leave me your thoughts on this chapter :) I know Lily seems like she's going back and forth on James, but I think she would have been suspicious of his sudden maturity even though James really does have a heart of gold. Next chapter will include some late night adventures (oh but with who?) and probably some bro bonding. Thanks for reading! Sorry for any mistakes. I tried to the best of my ability to edit. I still don't have a Beta reader, so if you are interested, PM me please!**

**Love, Bobby**


	8. Enchanted Hankies and Matchmaking

_**Katherine**_

The Common Room was surprisingly lacking Hufflepuffs tonight.

Normally, there would be a ton of us rolling around the yellow cushions like the little fat, food-obsessed, creatures we were.

Tonight, however, I was only one shoving food—handfuls of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans to be precise-down my throat as I watched Alden finish his homework.

"So, where have you been this week? I only see you at meals it seems like. And I didn't see you at all yesterday, even though…what the fuck are you doing?" Alden put his quill down while I pulled at my face, tears streaming down it.

I had just encountered chili powder, horseradish, bellybutton lint, and lemon beans in one mouthful

I now knew what death tasted like.

I would forever be a changed woman because of this. I would go on to write a bestselling novel and be tainted by fame and fortune.

_The Girl Who Ate Death: How She Conquered It (And Started the Most Successful Male Brothel on the Side)_

"Listen, I didn't know that you were that upset over something. If I did anything…okay now I'm just confused." He said this with caution as I jumped up and down, searching the room for water.

Luckily, Professor Sprout had left a pail of water near one of her plants. Because I am a woman with little shame, I scrambled over to the plants situated in the nook. Taking the pail, I began to swallow huge gulps of water as I silently sacrificed my dignity for the sake of my poor tongue.

"Is this…is this grieving? Kitty, I'm not going to ask." I slammed the empty pail on the desk and praised all the Gods that no one else was in the Common Room besides the two of us.

"I ate some jellybeans." Was all I could say before the barrels swung open to reveal a brooding Henry Kirk.

"Oi, over here. Look who has actually graced us with her presence for once." Alden called out to him, which made Kirk jerk his head in my direction.

"Oh, how lovely." He sneered as he threw himself on the couch opposite of Alden.

"If you two are going to just bitch about how I don't pay enough attention to either one of you, fill out a complaint form and I'll be sure to get back to you in the next thirty to sixty days." I walked over to them but hesitated on taking a seat since it looked like it was going to be the latest segment of _Katherine Wright is the Most Horrible Being That Has Ever Existed _show_._

"Well, that type of attitude is exactly what I'm talking about. Listen to yourself, Kitty. You're never that mean to me, just to Henry over there." The puppy eyes Alden made only threatened to bring up the thousand jellybeans I had eaten in the last hour.

"I'm afraid you've been replaced, Alden. She likes her new Gryffindor friends _far_ too much now." A simple laugh came from Alden because he thought it was a joke but Kirk just gave me that cool look as he stretched his legs out like he was some beautiful, French model.

Fucking prick.

"Oh sweet Merlin, Katherine made friends! Oh for the love of humanity, what is this miracle that happened? Now whatever will we do? Continue to care about her during the split-second when we're not shagging our girlfriends? I don't think I like this!" My mocking was met with more laughter from Alden while Kirk just scowled and looked away.

That's right.

Look away, you little, sniveling, constipated…

"You make it sound like we want to control you. It's just…you're one of my best friends, Katherine. I like seeing you once in awhile." Although Alden sounded quite sincere, it was still maddening because I saw him nearly every class and at every meal.

What he meant is that he missed having me at his beck and call because I had nothing better to do.

"A thousand apologies. If you send a calling card to my dormitory, we could arrange to have an afternoon tea and then take a stroll outside. I must warn you of my twenty other suitors though. If you can battle all of them to the death, then you will be worthy of my time." Yellow cushions surrounded me as I let myself sink to the ground.

"Oh, shove it. I just wanted to go to some stores with you yesterday. Instead, I saw you running around with Sirius Black. Normally, you run around with _me_." Oh, blast those disgusting puppy eyes.

All they did was make me extremely uncomfortable.

"You had a bloody date!" I threw my hands in the air while Kirk snorted.

Oh, so now he randomly found me humorous.

I just wanted to rip his bollocks off and feed them to the Giant Squid.

Though, the texture might be similar to his squid brethren, so that might be a little bit awkward for him to eat, excluding the whole them being testicles part that is.

"She brought her friend along and it was booooring. If you had hung out with Henry and Mary, then I could have found you and we could have tried to get drinks at the Hog's Head." Alden's whining only made me want to vomit even more.

"Well, here I am! If you've missed me so much, then let's do something." More pretentious chuckles came from Kirk but it was better than him lecturing me for the millionth time that Sirius was going to give me dragon herpes.

"Now you've put me on the spot. I don't know what to do."

He had to be fucking joking.

Not even I was that impossible.

I couldn't even be that impossible if I bloody well tried.

"Let's just go to the library so you can finish your damn homework." I sat up from the pile of cushions while Alden pondered on this idea.

"Hm, well, alright. Henry has to carry my books though."

"Who the hell said I invited Henry? Henry, I did extend the invitation to you? No, I don't think so." The indifferent gaze Kirk held morphed into a glare as he turned to face me.

"What? No, no, no. It needs to be the three of us. Like the good old days, which was precisely four weeks ago." The urge for me to throttle Alden was strong but I suppressed it as I picked up his stupid books.

"Whatever. I don't care. Let's just go the library for awhile." My frustration would only confuse Alden even further and I simply didn't need thousand of questions of why I suddenly hated Kirk.

As we headed to exit the Common room, I heard Kirk get off of the couch and silently follow us with no smart comments for once.

"So, can you tell us what makes Sirius Black so wonderful that you're willing to spend the whole Hogsmeade trip with him?" Even though Alden's question was poorly worded, I could tell that he was legitimately curious.

Kirk had caught up by now and was walking in step with us; listening intently for my response I'm sure.

"He's just a lot of fun, really. Surely you've spent enough time with us to see that. He likes to talk about various things and I like to talk about various things. I dunno, we get on well. That's all." I fought the blush creeping up my face as I felt Kirk's gaze intensify on me.

"He is interesting, don't get me wrong. It's just…why didn't you invite me with you guys yesterday? I was soooo miserable! I ended up dress robes shopping with Henry and Mary after the failed date. Do you know how many ruffles it takes for someone to want to kill themself? Forty seven. Yes, that's right, I counted." I allowed a chuckle but couldn't fully relax due to Kirk staring a hole into my skull.

Why couldn't he have taken the hint and just stayed back in the Common Room?

It's not even like he really liked spending time with us—he just wanted to make some type of point to me.

What the point was, I didn't know.

And I sure as hell never wanted to know.

When we arrived at the Library, we immediately went for our normal table only to see some Slytherins had occupied it. Because Slytherins are extremely scary—I don't care if Sirius insists that they are just cowards—we decided on a table a good length's away from them.

"If Black was with us would he have demanded the table from them?" Kirk finally spoke up and of course it had to be a snarky question. He wouldn't be Henry Kirk otherwise.

I looked back at the intimidating students before I answered.

"Yes, he would have just started the table on fire while yelling about how all Slytherins should just die already. Sounds like something he would do." We narrowed our eyes at each other while Alden remained blissfully ignorant.

"In all seriousness, you have very bad taste in men." Tension grew between us, so thick that I physically felt like it as hard to breathe.

"Believe me, _Henry_, I am very well aware of that." I shot back at him only to have him frown even more.

Oh, it looked like I struck a nerve.

"How did you spend the day with Black and his friends anyway?" asked Alden as he started to scrawl away on his essay for D.A.D.A.

"Yes, Katherine, however did you spend the day with Black?" Okay, if Alden didn't hear the snark in Kirk's tone that time then he really had to be daft.

"Do you mean before or after the orgy? Honestly, we just got drinks and looked around at some shops. I mean what did you two do besides dress robe shopping?" Snickers came from Alden. Kirk, on the other hand, just let out a bored sigh.

"Nothing because Mary took the whole fucking afternoon trying to decide if she liked lavender or mauve better. What is the fucking difference anyways?" Inspecting his fingernails, Kirk bluntly spoke while Alden and I looked at him in surprise.

"Well then. Kirk that is quite the mouth you have. Normally, you praise Mary to no end as if she's some type of goddess." Alden's joke rang in the heavy silence as Kirk glanced towards me with that all too familiar look.

As if him bashing his girlfriend would suddenly make me want to take him on the spot.

"I just find myself bored in the relationship lately." Now he was looking directly at me even though his words were directed towards Alden.

I stared back at him trying my best to look unfazed.

"You said that last year and only broke up for a week before you got back together with her." Thank Merlin for Alden making the crucial points because I did not want to be dragged into this any further.

"That was last year." Kirk's voice was soft as he shifted in his chair, still maintaining eye contact.

"You're making a fuss over nothing. But if you want to end things, then go ahead. It's not like either one of us care. Right, Katherine?" Going to the library was certainly not the most splendid idea.

Especially when Alden felt the need to include me in the most awkward of conversations.

"I care very little." Being curt was the only way I could speak to Kirk.

If only he could take the extremely large suggestion that I wasn't fond of him at all.

An awkward silence resumed afterwards for about a half an hour with Alden doing his homework and Kirk coming back and forth with random books. I, myself, decided to summon my knitting project to work on. A grave mistake occurred when the wrong set of yarn dropped in my lap.

With the crimson and gold colors of the yarn combined with the beginner's knitting needles, I drew the conclusion that I accidentally envisioned Sirius's knitting set instead of my own.

With further inspection on the stitches, I saw that he already had a few rows done and they were very orderly.

I knew that Sirius Black was a very bright, young man but did knitting have to fall into one of his many talents as well?

"What's that?" Pointing at the mess of yarn, Alden raised his eyebrows with an amused expression.

"Just some yarn to knit with." I shrugged as I internally struggled on how to do a slipknot.

In reality, I had gotten so frustrated with knitting that I actually ended up stabbing my pillow with the needles numerous times while my dorm mates looked on with complete horror.

"Why are you using Gryffindor colors? What happened to the proud, little Hufflepuff I grew up with? I'm going to write your Mum. And she'll set you straight and get you back to apologizing for no reason and awkwardly waiting for other houses to leave the classroom first." A surprised laugh escaped my mouth but I quickly covered it with my hand, muffling the rest of it.

Madam Pince had heard the laughter but couldn't place where it came from thankfully.

"Alden," he looked up at me as his hand paused from writing "I'm sorry if you actually felt like I was avoiding you. I just…ugh, it's weird talking about something serious with you, but I never really made friends besides you two. I mean I get along with everyone in our house, yes, but Sirius Black wants to be my bloody friend. He thinks _I'm _interesting, which is so absurd but…" I drifted off as Kirk sat down at the table once more.

"Oh, don't stop on the account of me. Just pretend I'm not here." He picked up a book and started to flip through the pages, obviously not reading it.

"I think it's nice that you have other mates to back you up instead of just Henry and me. I was just mainly teasing you because I wished you were around during that sordid excuse of a date I had yesterday. Well, she did mention that she would make it up to me tonight…oh fuck! It's tonight already! How could I have forgotten! Listen here, chums, I had fun but I have a very lovely evening planned with a certain someone if you know what I mean." Alden waggled his eyebrows while I gave him a disgusted look.

Before I could even properly say goodbye, he bolted out of the library with his books in tow, leaving the two of us alone.

Without a word, I started to quickly gather up the yarn in a ball. His eyes peered at me over the top of his book, watching my every move.

"Leaving so soon?" The book fell shut as he placed it on the table.

"Pretty much." I said as I turned on my heel to leave the library. His chair scooted back as he quickly scrambled out of it to catch up with me. We walked together in silence until we made it to the exit. As soon as we stepped out, I turned to him.

"I don't know what you're hinting at but I'm going to pretend it's nothing and suggest that we walk separately." My whispering was hushed as I tried not to draw attention from students that were entering the library.

"We're both headed in the same direction. Wouldn't it help the both of us if we just talked?" His fingers grabbed a lock of my hair and started to rub it.

"Go. To. Hell." My teeth gritted against themselves as I pulled away from him.

"Katherine! Please…" And that is when I made the first mistake.

I fell for that pleading tone and let him walk with me.

"I don't want to fight with you. I…I miss you. You're the only person I can be myself around." He looked towards me with a soft expression but I continued to look forward, picking up the pace.

"I was serious about ending things with Mary, you know…"

"That's what you said last year, Kirk." Memories of last spring flooded my mind. We were home for Easter holidays, celebrating at my house. Alden had stepped out of my room for a few minutes, which led to Henry trying to shove his tongue down my throat.

I was so tired of it then, though.

I told him enough was enough and he seemed to agree then. Even wrote a break up letter to Mary, had me read over it. So many bloody mistakes were in it and the handwriting was so shaky, but he was determined to send it.

He told me he did, but when we got on the Hogwarts Express that was far from the truth as I watched the two of them eat each other's faces off.

It occurred to me that even someone that you considered your best friend could play you for a fool and let them use you however they saw fit.

What was even more foolish that I had went along his antics even after that.

I was pathetic.

We walked in silence until we reached the corner that led to the Common Room. As I started to turn around it, his hand clutched my shoulder and pulled me towards him. My shoulder blades rolled back out of his grasp as my back met the wall.

He stared down at me with those impassive eyes.

"I want to seriously talk. You can be as nasty as you want, I don't care. Just talk to me." And suddenly, he had a lot of emotion that made me uncomfortable.

He was fucking begging me to talk to him.

Part of me felt drawn while the other part felt so disgusted.

"Oh, so you want me to be honest? That's it? Okay, well, let's start with how you fucked me up so terribly that I can't even have a normal relationship. It's okay to talk to me in private, tell me how pretty and witty I am but as soon as I approach you in public, I'm a heathen! I'm incapable of feelings apparently since you treat me with little to no regard. You just make me out to be mental and humiliate me in front of all your friends so I have no choice other than be a living joke! You know why I've been talking to Sirius? Because he's _nice_, Henry, he's _nice. _He's so fucking nice that you wouldn't believe it. And I've never really encountered someone so nice, isn't that sad? That Sirius Black is the most pleasant person I've met? Even though I barely fucking know the man, I can sure as bloody hell assure you that he's a lot better than you. You know what's the worse thing, though? That I lost my best friend. You're not who you were two years ago. All of a sudden, you became embarrassed of me. And that fucking tore me up, Henry. Can you blame me? Can you…" My rant was cut off by his sudden hug.

Tears and bogies smashed against his chest as I struggled to breathe.

"I'm sorry, Kitty." He murmured as he brushed my hair away from my face.

"No," My arms pushed him away "I don't need a fucking hug! This isn't primary school where hugs magically solve everything! Are you fucking joking? Are you even listening to me? You don't even know what you did wrong!"

He took my face in his hands and looked me in the eyes.

My heart stopped at that expression.

He only looked at me that way—no one else. Quickly, I broke eye contact and looked at the ground but that did little to nothing.

Slowly, his lips fell upon on mine.

Hands travelled down my sides as a sigh exhaled from his body.

Seconds slowed to what seemed like hours.

Finally, he pulled away as he looked at me once more.

My teeth raked over my dry lips, as I looked at the ground in utter shame.

I truly, truly, _truly_ hated myself.

"I'm sorry, Katherine." He repeated as his lips pressed themselves against my forehead as I struggled to comprehend what was fully going on.

"Don't you ever kiss me again," My warning sounded weak in my faltering tone but I tried my best to stare up at him.

"Don't pretend that you didn't just get caught up with that because I know you, Katherine." I brushed past him and started to walk away.

"Katherine…" He called after me to which I responded with two soaring fingers.

There was no way in hell that I was going in the Common Room with him.

Highly emotional and stressed, I thought of the only place in the world that could help me: The Kitchens.

Maybe this time I could actually muster the courage to boss one of the house elves around.

Thankfully, the Kitchens weren't too far from the Common Room. A mixture of relief and excitement soared through my body as I ran up to the still life painting of fruit.

That pear was the most beautiful pear I had ever seen in my life.

Desperately, I tickled the ever living hell out of that pear to the point that it probably felt violated and had to seek therapy. The portrait hole swung open to reveal busy house elves cleaning dishes and preparing various dishes for tomorrow morning.

Various spices filled my nose as nostalgia set in. It seemed as though they were preparing Halloween themed dishes and that got me particularly excited. Just as about I was going to open my mouth, another voice spoke.

"Oh, Wormtail, I don't know if Agnes would be offended by white chocolate. Why do you ask me these things? You should ask Moony since he has a better feel for those types of questions. Remember, we're here for Prongs, so don't get carried away with your own cravings." I turned to see Sirius's back facing me, bent over a rack of various desserts.

Due to the house elves' indifference to his presence, it seemed as though he came by often.

"Here, put these in the bag. And what are you looking at? Fucking hell, you always get so tense for no reason…oh, Katherine! Why…hello!" It seemed as though as I caught him off-guard, seeing how he began to shuffle around a bit for no reason.

Pressure relieved from my chest as I looked at him.

"What brings you here?" He asked as he elbowed Pettigrew in the side to stop eating pastries "Let Katherine decide on she wants before you stuff your face, you arse." The last bit he whispered harshly but I still heard it well enough.

"I…uh…well," My voice broke as tears filled my eyes.

This could not have happened at a worse time.

This was a death sentence.

The last time I cried in public was when my owl Pippet smashed into a wall instead of going through the one of the damn window slots at the Owlery. I was positive that he was dead and had even made a small grave for him by the lake. However, just as I was to fill the grave in, the box began to shake violently until he busted out.

To this day, I was convinced that my tears could bring things back to life even though everyone else said he was just stunned.

They were just jealous that literal magic didn't leak out of their eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey," He pushed past Pettigrew and was suddenly at my side "What's wrong?"

Panic surged through my mind as I tried to think of a viable excuse. I needed some believable that was respectable _and _heartbreaking at the same time…something…

"My dog died."

Oh, shit, what the bloody hell just came out of my mouth?

I didn't even have a fucking dog.

"Blimey, that's the terrible. I…uh…here." A pile of biscuits fell into my arms as he dashed for a plate of scones.

"I've never really had a pet—well besides the old barmy cat my mother was so fond of—but I can imagine how terrible that is. Was he…or she? She? He?" Oh no, he was asking about me genders.

"He was…he was…" Oh, fuck I always wanted a girl dog.

How did I even manage to fuck up so royally without even trying?

Leave it to me to give my imaginary dog an identity crisis.

To him, my stalling must have looked like I was extremely distraught while in reality I was just a terrible storyteller. It was a blessing in a way, I suppose, because the tears were now drying up but it still meant I was surely fucked.

"He was?" He pressed gently as he placed both of his hands on my shoulders.

"He was murdered by his arch rival."

No.

That could _not _have been the best story I could come up with on the spot.

"P-pardon?" He grimaced as he tried to keep what I presumed to be a straight face, but instead, it looked like he was going to burst out into laughter.

"I…uh…well…you see…" Panic continued to build up in me as even more tears formed in my eyes, now combined with what happened earlier with Kirk and extreme embarrassment.

Pettigrew, who was unabashedly staring, was stuffing his face with cream puffs, which made me even more nervous because he was smacking his lips as he ate.

_Smack. Smack. Smack._

That was all I could hear as I desperately racked my mind for something much more believable. All I could do, however, was stare at Pettigrew's chubby, little baby fingers and wonder if he bit onto them sometimes thinking that they were little sausages instead.

"Katherine?" Sirius actually sounded quite concerned, which caused a lot of shame to plummet to my stomach. Here he thought that there was something actually worthwhile upsetting me while instead it just my poor life choices.

"I, well, um…" Stammering was a talent of mine. I stammered my way out of every class because I could stammer for so long. Professor McGonagall could call on me and I would just go "Oh ah, well, you see…uh…" until it was the day of graduation. But that was mainly because she was so scary and could turn into a cat at a moment's notice.

I was not sure about the average person's take on cats, but cats terrified me. A lot of that supposed napping was actually just plotting for overthrowing the world. No one could convince me otherwise.

I glanced at Pettigrew again, trying to see if I could make out a string of slobber. Following my gaze, Sirius looked back at him as well, his mouth making a tight line.

"Oi! Go on without me. Just tell Pro…_James_ that I ran into Filch and created a diversion for you get away." The look on Pettigrew's face was hesitant but I couldn't tell if that was because he didn't want to leave his mate behind or if he just wanted another biscuit.

"But the cloak…" I think this was one of the few times I actually heard Pettigrew speak. Even though it's absurd, I've always imagined him just making squeaking noises instead of actually forming words.

"Go on and take it. I won't need it," Sirius nodded towards the heap of cloth by one of the tables "Well, what are you waiting for? Move!" Pettigrew shuffled around awkwardly as he moved to put the cloak around him. Even though he was fully invisible, I could tell where he was since random pieces of bread went falling from the baking racks until the portrait door swung open.

"So, what's the…" The portrait door slammed shut, cutting Sirius off. He opened his mouth to speak once more but the door swung open.

"Can I have the map?" a timid voice spoke out of nowhere. Sirius now seemed like he was fully capable of murder.

"For fuck's sake, Peter, you should know where the Common Room is by now! It's only been, oh I don't know, seven years!" He barked at Pettigrew as he started to dig through his pockets.

"But it's dark and…"

"Oh, if only you had a magical stick that could produce light! What a wonder that would be!" For some reason, Sirius tended to be the most hilarious when he was irritated.

If he were to be a serial killer, I'm sure he would make the experience worthwhile with such wonderful sarcasm and wit.

_Oh, take as much time as you need to die, it's not like I have anywhere to go because my _whole _life revolves around this very moment. That party I was invited to? It's not like my social life isn't _important _at all, so just take your bloody time._

It was official.

If I was going to be brutally murdered, Sirius had to be the one to do it. Then I could die while making fun of what a twat I was with him.

"Here's the bloody map," Handing the air a blank piece of parchment, he sighed as the parchment suddenly disappeared "Anything else? Do you need a biscuit for the long trip?"

"Well, maybe if…"

"I was being sarcastic, you dolt! Get moving now!" Sirius pointed towards the portrait hole and it swung open again, the sound of feet pitter-pattering in the distance. When the portrait door shut once more, he turned his attention back to me as I felt cold sweat bead onto my neck.

"Is everything okay, Katherine? Well, that's actually a dumb question since you're obviously crying and all…"

"I'm, uh, I'm okay…" My lie was pathetic and weak, just like my attempts at putting on eyeliner for formal occasions.

Thankfully, I wasn't currently wearing any makeup so my face didn't look like a huge pile of dragon shit.

Instead, it was a very small pile of dragon shit.

"I mean I won't force you to talk about it, but Peter's not here and…"

"So, how come you're here?" My question was abrupt but I definitely wasn't going to tell him how I was the ill fated _other woman_—with Henry Kirk too, if that itself wasn't bad enough.

"Ah, well," His hand went to his head, scratching it with some thought "James randomly told us today that he was giving up on Lily—you know the girl from yesterday—and even though he tried to be cheerful about the whole thing, something tells me that he was ultimately rejected. I feel kind of shitty since I always egged him on about the whole situation. I honestly thought that Evans felt the same way about him but I guess it was wishful thinking on both of our parts. I thought that I could get some of his favorite desserts to chipper him up a bit." He nodded towards a bag of treats as a sudden realization dawned on him.

"Oh, Wormtail forgot the stupid bag. Great, now I'll have to lug this on my own." He brushed his hair out of his face; clearly unaware of the fact he could drop out of Hogwarts and become an international supermodel at the tender age of seventeen with that hair alone.

"I'm sorry. You didn't have to stay behind for me. All I needed was some hot chocolate and the tears would have been gone in an instant." I sniffed as I brushed away any loose snot on my face.

"We're friends now, right? Well, as your friend, I couldn't leave in good conscience knowing that you were upset. We might as well eat what we have here in the bag, seeing how Peter ate half of it anyways." Grumbling some other not so kind words about Pettigrew, he grabbed a fat rascal and took a chomp out of it before throwing the bag to me.

"Thanks," I rummaged through the bag and took out a macaroon "But I'm okay, honestly…"

"For goodness's sake, Wright, just eat the biscuit. I'm not going to ask what happened. I'll just keep you company until we're both fat enough to roll out of here." Almost immediately, a sigh of relief left me as I gave him my best attempt at a smile, but it probably looked like a snarl to him.

"So," Crumbs fell from his lips as he took another bite of his biscuit "How did you know how to get into the Kitchens? Not a lot of people know."

"Well, I stumbled across some writing in this book from library—I honestly cannot remember for the life of me which book it was—but it said 'For when studying becomes too much, tickle the pear.' It had a really bad sketch of the painting that leads to here but it resembled it well enough that I figured it out. The first time I tried it, though, really scared the hell out of me. I thought the pear would just do a silly dance, not open a door. I was so stupid because I thought I broke something and just ran off in the opposite direction." Sirius chuckled at this while I had horrid flashbacks of me randomly tickling the pear and then dashing off in fear for that entire school year.

"That's endearing, really." Oh, he could try to reassure me as much as he wanted but deep down, we both knew that it was far from endearing.

"To you, it may seem like that, but you don't live in this madwoman's body." The macaroon was now sticking to my fingers as I continued to take small bites off it.

"Madwoman or not, you're pretty interesting. Am I going to have to eat this whole bag myself? I've already gone through five biscuits and you're still on your first one." He shoved the bag towards me and urged me to take another.

"I'm a slow eater, what can I say?" I reached in once more, only to grab another macaroon.

"Slow eater? You certainly weren't one yesterday morning. You even stole slice of a bacon from me." His shirt was now filled with crumbs as he stacked two biscuits and demolished them in two bites.

"Breakfast is different because that's the most important meal of the day. You have go about eating breakfast in an aggressive way. Like a warrior prepping his virgin sacrifice." To appease him, I took a big bite of my macaroon and chewed it thoroughly.

"Well, you certainly do live by those words. It was kind of odd not seeing you today. I mean I know we've spent a lot of time together this weekend but today was somewhat bland without you." Even though he said this in a nonchalant manner, I found his words overwhelming.

Overwhelming in a good way though, if that makes sense.

"I slept in until noon, which made me feel like death. I then sat around in my knickers for the next hour contemplating the meaning of life to avoid taking a shower. I took a forty-five minute shower because half the time I like to pretend I'm a dragon snorting steam out of my nose. Then I sat around in fresh knickers and wondered how the hell death exactly worked. After awhile, it got a bit nippy and so I put on my sweater and read some of my roommate's stupid romance novels until said roommate told me Alden wanted to see me. Now that I think about it, I never bothered to eat anything but chocolate frogs today seeing how I never went to the Great Hall." I stepped forward to grab another treat from the bag only to find it was empty.

For heaven's sake, that man had an appetite.

"Do your roommates ever find it odd that you lay around half-naked?" For some reason, he found the fact that I sat around in my knickers most amusing while I thought that's what everyone did.

"Well, actually, they think something is wrong when I'm not sitting around in my knickers. I hate trousers. I hate skirts. If I had things my way, we would all run around school freely without either one of them. But then anarchy would happen because we would feel _too _free. So, I suppose they serve a purpose." A small laugh from him rang throughout the now quiet kitchen as I found myself laughing with him, feeling much calmer from when I first entered the room.

"You have crumbs all over your shirt," I pointed out to him to which he quickly ran his hand over his chest a good few times "You gave Pettigrew so much grief while you're eating just as much as he did."

"I'm an emotional eater," He gave another small laugh "That's the only excuse I can think of. As for Peter, well, he's been getting on my last nerve lately. Honestly, if it weren't for Remus, I don't think we would keep him around as much as we do. He's grown on James though. For me, dunno, he's too eager to be on people's good sides rather than just doing what he wants." The bag was now crumpled up in his hand as he took on a rather serious expression.

"I can understand that, what with being friends with Kirk and all." A hard lump formed in my throat at the thought of Henry.

"Why are you even friends with him? I know I ask that a lot but, Merlin, even Peter is better than him." I bit my lip as I fought oncoming tears, which thankfully didn't form.

"Even if he is better than Kirk, why are you still friends with Peter?" I countered with a much more defensive tone than I meant.

"Well…I suppose it's just convenient," With a shrug of his shoulders, he gave me a curious look "Is it the same for you?"

"I suppose." My hands folded together as we stood in silence for a good moment. There was this unreadable look in his eyes that unnerved me a bit. I could tell that he was studying me but what he saw, I wasn't so sure.

All I knew was that he could really make one vulnerable with just one glance.

"To troublesome friends." He toasted as he a split a biscuit and handed one of the halves to me. We both bit into our separate halves hard, munching away the gloomy mood. The next half an hour was spent with us comparing different treats and who could balance the most objects on their head—which I won by a landslide. By the end, it was hard for me to understand how Kirk had made me so upset in the first place.

"Well, shit, it's almost midnight." Glancing at his watch, Sirius frowned a bit as he brushed his shirt with his other hand.

"Merlin, you just make time go by fast. Must be a curse you have." Maybe it was selfish of me, but I didn't necessarily want the evening to end quite yet.

But I didn't know how to tell him without looking like I was a desperate girl who fancied him.

Because that was definitely not the case.

"I'll walk you to your common room." His offer made my heart jump as I tried my best not to grin like an utter fool. When we exited out of the Kitchens, we hid behind a corner of a corridor before we made any moves. Without the disappearing cloak—something I thought to be a gift from Satan—we moved at a much slower pace.

As we walked up to the entrance of the Common Room, I turned towards him. Although it was dark, I could make out his most prominent features. Whenever I read those god awful romance stories set during Victorian times, whenever the main love interest was introduced he would be always be described has having very aristocratic features. The strange thing was that lately, when I read those books, I would envision the aristocrat as Sirius. With his long, straight nose and high cheekbones, one could just tell that he was from a noble family.

"Katherine…?" His careful whisper broke the silence. At first, I didn't know why he sounded so apprehensive until I saw that my hand was on his face.

_Oh, Merlin_.

Did I really just grab his face like he was some type of rare specimen?

"Oh! Uh, sorry," My fingers brushed roughly against his cheek "There were some crumbs left on your mouth." Quickly, I brought my hands down to my sides and firmly kept them there as I died on the inside.

"Oh. Well, thanks." It was hard to read his voice since it was so dark, so part of me was panicking as to if he found me creepy or not.

What if he thought I was trying to get sample of his cheek cells so I could grow copies of him in my dorm room, and then fuse it with plants with the end result being Venus fly traps with little Sirius heads.

Well, actually, that seemed to be a genius idea the more I thought about it.

"Oh, do you need me to leave so I don't find out the password?" He motioned to the door of barrels to which I vigorously shook my head no.

It was only midnight, which meant Henry would be waiting for me when I came back in. Then he would corner me and go off on a rant about how bad of an influence Sirius was even though he himself was a lying, cheating, and pompous bastard.

Knowing him, he'd probably make a diagram about how all Gryffindor boys just want to drown everyone in their semen.

Of course, since I was so repulsive to everyone but Henry, I quite didn't fit into this equation and would throw off the Gryffindor mating season.

Oh, what a little bugger I was.

"I…uh, well, this sounds absurd, but I don't really feel like going back to my dorm right now. I was actually looking to wander around a bit since it's my last year and I've never really…" Thankfully it was dark because I could feel the heat rise in my face.

"You too? To be honest," He made some stretching noises as he paused "I was kind of hoping you would say something along the lines of that. That is, if you want me to go along." The last bit was said sheepishly but I responded with an enthusiastic nod, completely forgetting that it was dark and he probably couldn't see a bloody thing.

"That would be splendid!" I clapped my hands over my mouth right after my outburst while he let out a soft chuckle. We stood together for a moment as a sense of tranquility enveloped us.

Slowly, my eyes began to adjust to the dark and I met his grey, hazy gaze twinkling in that familiar yet distant way.

His thoughts were completely encrypted; there was no way anyone could read him.

I found it almost unsettling but even more so intriguing.

"Do you have any place in mind?" he asked as he rocked on his heels a bit, his hands tucked away in his pockets.

"Well, if we had your disappearing handkerchief, I'd suggest we go to the Astronomy Tower and heckle any couples who came by. We could yell in old, gravelly voices while giving scores on the their performance." Hopefully he didn't think I had a fetish regarding that, since I was just being facetious.

"Well, we don't have the enchanted hanky but we could still go up there. It's pretty nice at twilight when there aren't any classes or shagging couples. It's supposed to be clear tonight, so it would make a nice evening for stargazing. I know, I know. Stargazing is a somewhat stupid, lovey dovey thing to do but since it's just us…" He ran his hand through his hair as he glanced over his shoulder for any signs of Filch.

"We're just chums, right? From the way it seems to be with us, we could probably get married just for shits and giggles. It would be like we started dating as a joke and then the joke would continue until we are buried together laughing about what twats we are." That actually didn't sound all too bad.

We wouldn't have to do anything icky like hold hands or, Merlin forbid, _kiss_.

Of course, if Sirius actually saw me in that way, I wouldn't object—at least I don't think I would. Honestly, though, it was hard to imagine him wanting to give me one of those odd, cuddly hugs.

I felt uncomfortable just thinking about him being all sappy.

Didn't suit him, really.

The idea alone of him trying to kiss me just made me want to burst out into nervous giggles.

It was so hard to believe because it was _me._

_Katherine Wright_.

With _the _Sirius Black?

I could go into a pub's comedy hour and just say "Imagine me romantically with Sirius Black" and the whole crowd would laugh so hard that they would tragically suffocate. I'd then be sent to Azkaban for telling the world's deadliest joke and face a hard life of puns and riddles.

"Sounds like an ideal marriage to me." A small grin hung on the corner of his mouth as he motioned for me to follow him.

"I don't think romance is something either one of us is particularly fond of." I thought aloud as he started to lead me to a secluded stairway, constantly looking over his back for Filch or Mrs. Norris.

"Well said, well said. Now we're going to have to be quiet as we go up these stairs. Filch likes to linger around this area sometimes." His finger met my lips as he gently shushed me but I couldn't help but speak once again.

"What do we do if there's a couple going at it up there?" He stopped walking for a moment and remained quiet until he carefully turned towards me.

"I suppose we'll just have to make score cards for the event." It was strange but that specific smile he gave me made my heart give off a tiny pang.

I hadn't had much experience with pinging or panging hearts but…

It was a nice little pang regardless.

* * *

_**James**_

"So, you went all the way to the Kitchens to surprise me with biscuits only to forget the bag of said biscuits?" I sighed as Wormtail looked down at his feet, kicking them around a bit.

Currently, we were all in the dorm relaxing before we went off to bed. I was taking a look at Lily's annotations on my essay until a breathless Wormtail burst in. Before either Moony or I could ask what happened, Wormtail had gone off on a long spiel about how he and Padfoot thought I was down so they wanted to get me some sweets to cheer me up but then Padfoot made him leave all of a sudden.

Even if the whole plan got muddled up, it was touching to see how thoughtful they were. Though, I wish they didn't act like it was such a tragedy that I was giving up on Lily because it's not like I was completely torn up about it myself.

It's just that…

Well, Lily made a few points that I agreed with and I'd rather see the girl I fancy be comfortable around me than dread my entire existence.

"Well, that Wright girl came in and she was crying and well…"

"Wait, wait, wait," I scooted away from my desk to get closer to him "Katherine came in? And she was _crying_? Must have been about Puddlemere losing today. Serves her right for supporting such a rotten team but—wait! Padfoot was there and _she was crying_. Oh Merlin, his weakness is crying girls! Well, besides Marlene that is." While in the beginning he would be quite concerned over Marlene's tears, he kind of got to be a bit indifferent about them towards the end.

"What makes you say that?" piped up Moony from his bed. The book he was reading was now laying face down on his chest as he looked at Wormtail and me in curiosity. Lately, he was easily interested by the relationship Padfoot had with Katherine, but then again, I think we all were, really.

It was like watching a romance novel slowly unfold but the pace was _extremely _slow.

"It's just something I've noticed with him. He always tries to bend over backwards whenever a girl cries. In fact, when he and Marlene first started dating, he would go leagues beyond the average man does in terms of cheering a girlfriend up. He'd charm little notes to fly like doves with sappy little messages and, oh Merlin, I'm going to be sick just thinking about it. Though one time, I managed to write 'You smell like fresh dungbombs' pretty close to his handwriting and charmed it into a stupid dove. She didn't like that one too much." Moony let out a huge, unexpected laugh while Wormtail giggleded nervously, unsure if I was disappointed with the lack of biscuits or not.

"Wormtail," He jumped slightly at his name being mentioned "Thanks for thinking of me. I appreciate it, mate. If anything, Padfoot is the one at fault since he let his hormones get the better of him. I don't really mind since it's Wright we're talking about. She's a bit fun in that loony, weird way. Did he throw her into his arms and declared his undying love for her?" My arms hugged my sides as I mimed a passionate Padfoot having his way with the very object of his desires.

If only Padfoot kept a diary so I could read all of his dirty, strange thoughts about her. I could then make copies and make a photo album out of them as a gift for their wedding.

"He, well…he just sort of held her by the shoulders and she said her dog died…that it was murdered or something. Then he told me to get going and so I did. She was kind of quiet, not really talkative like she is during meals." Well, that sounded like an incredibly awkward situation to witness.

My deepest sympathies went to Wormtail while I greatly respected Padfoot's chivalry.

"That, uh, wow. That is actually quite terrible. I feel like I should write her a sympathy card or something…" Moony murmured to himself as he started to rummage through his nightstand for a quill.

"I'll let her have my helping of dessert tomorrow. Food seems to be something that she places a lot of importance on. That whole thing sounds, like Moony said, quite terrible." Goodness, if anything, I would bet that tonight would be the night that Padfoot started to see her differently.

Although he came off as cool and collected, Padfoot had a tender side to him that was easily warmed by things such as a little Hufflepuff crying in his arms.

"What time do you think he'll come back?" For some reason, Wormtail was still nervous when he didn't need to be. There was this impractical fear he had when it came to Padfoot—who, at his worst, was just a moody little pup.

"Hmm, I'd say somewhere between one or two in the morning." Moony was now reading his book his again, slowly losing interest in the conversation.

"Oh, most definitely later than that. I bet he's going to take her to Honeydukes. That's a classic move on his part." Though, he never really did that type of stuff much with Marlene since she would just blab about it to Lily.

Oh, Lily Evans.

It was going to be hard to give up on her when she insisted on being an incredibly wonderful…

"He already took her to Honeydukes." Although he was trying to hide it behind his book, Moony was smirking like an evil mastermind.

It really wasn't a surprise that he was often the one who came up with the most memorable pranks.

"No, they _didn't_. You're saying they did?" Homework was certainly out of question by now.

It was time to bring out our inner spinsters and lay out all of the latest gossip.

"Katherine mentioned it yesterday. Speaking of which, they were getting pretty cozy in the bookstore we went to."

"It baffles me on how daft he is with this whole…whole relationship. It's like he's actively making an effort to act as oblivious as he can." It was like second year all over again when he would constantly throw spells at this Ravenclaw girl because he secretly wanted her attention.

Too bad that just made her hate him completely.

"It seems to me that he just doesn't want to prove Marlene right about moving on so fast. He's pretty adamant that he was a wonderful boyfriend to her and seems determined to prove that. It's a shame, though, that there isn't some type of holiday that people use an excuse to dress ridiculous and throw parties coming up…" That sounded like sarcasm coming from Moony, but it was hard to tell with…

Oh.

He meant Halloween.

…_Oh._

The clockwork started to turn in my head as I went to check the calendar, paying no mind to all of the ejaculating penises drawn on all of the days.

If tomorrow was the twenty-third, then Halloween was about a week away.

Which meant the legendary, annual Halloween party we always put on in the Common Room.

I took a nearby quill and scrawled _Halloween Party _on the 31st.

And what do we get with Halloween parties?

Randy young adults under the influence of beautiful alcohol.

"Oh, Moony, you're brilliant. All we need to do is tell Padfoot and he'll want to invite her right away. Get them to have a drinking competition and young love will blossom. That or vomit. Either way, it would be a rather entertaining Halloween. Oh, how wonderful youthful love is!" The two of us laughed while Wormtail looked a bit confused. After silence fell over us, he finally spoke.

"Why are you so keen on setting up Padfoot together with that Katherine girl?"

"Well, Wormtail, that is an excellent question," My quill sprinkled ink as I pointed it at him, "Frankly, I don't want Padfoot to get back together with Marlene. She is lovely on her own, but she is not so lovely when dating Padfoot. Padfoot needs someone who can easily catch up with us. If it weren't for Katherine Wright, we would have the moodiest, gloomiest little dog in our dorm room right now. That or he would be back together with Marlene and be even more miserable. If he were to move on from Katherine, he could someone potentially much worse than Marlene—who is just highly emotional and harmless relatively speaking. But someone much worse could manipulate his poor little heart into a million little pieces. Simply, I don't want that for my best mate." As much as Padfoot liked to claim otherwise, he let his emotions get the best of him far too much.

Even though I had the tendency to a bit of a hotheaded fool myself, I liked to think that I could keep my emotions a bit more under wrap than he could.

Really, it was thanks to Wright that I had didn't have to deal with the moping that he usually does after a break up. And this was the worst break up by far.

"It seems like you're more serious about his love life than he is himself." Well, Moony had a point there but I could only just shrug in indifference to his opinion.

"Perhaps. It's just that Padfoot tends to let things get by him without even realizing it. I think a little push would really help him out. Just a smidge of nudge really." My eyes fell the little hearts on the calendar that I had previously drawn.

Before I knew it, my quill was moving on its own, calmly crossing them out one by one.

It wasn't like I had much of a love life going on for myself at the moment, so where was the harm in spreading a little love elsewhere?

* * *

**Well, I wish the Halloween party would come next chapter, but it looks like it will come the chapter after that. Next chapter will have Sirius and Katherine's adventure continued while James gets really into playing matchmaker. Please leave a review on your thoughts so far. Ick, that sounds really desperate but it's really encouraging to hear from you guys so I know that I'm not writing a bunch of nonsense haha. Thanks again for reading :) Love- Bobby.**


	9. Wanky and Sparkles

_**Lily**_

"Are they really dating, Lily?" A soft voice from the bed beside me startled me out of my sleepy state.

Turning over on my side, I squinted my eyes as I pulled the switch of the lamp on my nightstand. Marlene was looking at me; her big blue eyes welled up with tears.

Almost immediately, guilt started to eat me up from the inside.

But I wasn't so sure as to why I felt so guilty.

Perhaps I had been too hard on her lately.

"No, I don't think so Marls," her face softened, but then I went on to continue, "I think…I think Sirius might fancy her a tad."

She was quiet for a moment but then slowly nodded in agreement, sniffing in some of the remaining tears.

"James told me that he wasn't seeing anyone else when you two were dating though. And that Sirius actually met Katherine the night you two broke up. I'm not even kidding about this but Katherine stumbled upon you two in the midst of your break up and Sirius noticed her afterwards. I suppose that's how they started talking." James had explained to me in further detail what exactly he knew while we were buying new quills.

Actually, I remembered pretty well myself when we ran into them during our rounds.

I just didn't know that was the first time they actually spoke to one another since they were so…_casual_.

"So, if Sirius and I were still dating, then he wouldn't even know who she was. What if she was following us around? Waiting for us to break up so that she could…" Her voice broke as she let out a wet cough.

"I don't think so, Marlene. I really don't. In fact, Sirius seems much more eager to talk to her than vice versa. Honestly, I find her to be a bit aloof in a strange way. When they met us at the Three Broomsticks, it was mainly she and James bantering back and forth about Quidditch. In fact, she and Sirius didn't even talk that much since he seemed to be sulking." I rubbed my eyes as I cleared my throat, trying my best not to sound groggy.

"I don't want him to hate me, Lily. I've been terrible these past few weeks. I really care about him but he won't even look in my direction. It's all my fault that we broke up, if I hadn't…"

"I don't think it's anyone's fault, really. You two were just at different places. Trust me, Marlene; he was not being fair to you. He just doesn't take things seriously while you're a _very_ serious person. I don't think he's a bad person though. He's just not a person _I_ would want a serious relationship with. I would really try to move past him because it just hurts you to yearn after someone who doesn't even give you a second thought." The light in the bathroom had gone off as a freshly washed Dorcas emerged.

"Are you two talking about that girl Black's been with? I ran into her yesterday. You were there, Lily, with a certain handsome Quidditch captain may I add. Katelyn was nice enough. She said she liked my eyebrows. She's nowhere as near as pretty as you though, Marlene." She added the last bit quickly as she sat near Marlene's feet, furiously brushing her wet hair.

"She's attractive enough. She has more of a chance with Sirius than I do now. I should just let them be happy and start searching for my own happiness. How did I let things get so out of hand?" Her thick hair shrouded around her as her face met her hands.

"Just don't stress over it. I'm sure if you just distance yourself from Sirius for awhile and don't speak to him, it will blow over in a month or two." If this is what a serious relationship entailed, I wasn't so sure if I wanted to have one until I was well into my forties.

"I don't know if I can handle him dating other people." Loud sniffs came from her while her body heaved a bit. Dorcas leaned over and started to pat her feet, making those gentle cooing noises.

"Shhh, it's okay, Marley. I can just charm Bludgers to go after him if he starts parading other women around." She brought Marlene to her chest, letting Marlene cry out some more tears.

That's when it dawned on me on how exactly heartbroken this girl was.

She had been crying nearly every day and here I was getting so impatient with it.

More waves of guilt started to wash over me as I watched the two of them cuddle.

"In all honesty," both of them turned their attention towards me "I don't think it will be all roses and giggles for Sirius with this Katherine girl. I think she's really trying to keep him at bay, and when he realizes he wants to go after her, he'll meet a lot of resistance. Who knows, Marlene? Maybe a few months from now, he'll be clinging to James like you are with Dory right now." Both of them laughed even though deep down, we all probably knew it wouldn't be that case since the world had a cruel way of working out.

The two of them could end up snogging at the Gryffindor table by next month for all I knew.

"You know what," Marlene pulled away from Dorcas with her fists clenched "From now on, I'm not going to care if they start dating on the spot. I'm going to let it go. But Mary needs to help me with that since Henry likes to be antagonistic."

"Wha…?" A sleepy voice spoke from the far end of the room.

"Marlene says that your boyfriend needs to stop acting like a prick." Leave it to Dorcas to sugarcoat her words.

"Try telling that to him…he's impossible…" Mary's voice drifted off as light snoring once again filled the room.

All three of us laughed a bit at how blunt she had been when normally Mary took a very gentle approach with criticism.

"Why does he hate Black so much anyways? I mean Black is a bit of cad, yes, but I swear Henry has some sort of personal vendetta against him." Flinging her wet hair over her shoulder, Dorcas crawled up besides Marlene and hugged her.

The two of them liked to cuddle.

_A lot_.

Well, Dorcas was just a really affectionate girl and would crawl into everyone's beds if they allowed it, but goodness, I needed my personal space.

"It's been hard for him to see one of his best friends run around with one of Hogwart's wildest bachelors," Marlene let out a sad laugh "Apparently, she's never had a real boyfriend and he's just worried. As for before that, I don't know myself. I just know that he always told me that he saw him talking to other girls." My nose wrinkled in irritation.

Lately, it was becoming more and more apparent of what a busybody Henry Kirk was. Sirius already had a well-established reputation and certainly didn't need Henry blowing it even further out of proportion.

"It's strange because he seems to think the world of James. How could he dislike one and love the other? They're like a bundled package for the price of one." It was hard to tell Dorcas's stance on James and his friends.

One moment, she would be screaming up a storm about how badly they made her want to use the Unforgivables but then the next day, she would be laughing and punching them on the arm like nothing happened.

"I think it's easy enough to say that James has a bit more integrity than Sirius. He tends to have a stronger sense of justice while Sirius just idly floats along and does what he pleases. I don't know…I just see more maturity from James lately." My thoughts drifted to yesterday's trip to Hogsmeade.

_I am still very interested in being your friend…that is my honest intent._

"Ooooh," Dorcas wagged her eyebrows "Maturity. Just tell us, Lily, how mature is James in the sack?" Giggles came from Marlene while Dorcas downright cackled like a true witch.

"For your information," I sat up against the wall, trying put thoughts of James's manhood out of my mind "James and I have agreed to be just friends."

"Oh, fine. Yes, of course." Rolling her eyes, Dorcas moved away from Marlene's bed and walked to the vanity we all shared.

"I'm serious. He told me that he's going to see me as just a friend since I told him that there really isn't a chance of us dating. And he respected that, which I found very admirable." My fingers twisted a lock of my hair around them as I tried to ignore Dorca's stern gaze.

"So, you're saying that James has zero chance with you?" The way she asked her question was almost aggressive, but I nodded nonetheless.

"I just don't see it happening with him…"

"Then you don't mind if I go after him?" I merely blinked at her as I tried to process exactly what she said.

With her, it simply didn't make any sense because of Andrew Holmes and she and James…

That would be an immediate disaster.

"I…well, what about Andrew?" She gave a slight shrug as she reached for some hair curlers to set her hair.

"I don't care too much for him, personally. If you're saying that James has given up a hundred percent on you, then I want to pursue my own feelings. I've held quite the flame for him for some time now." By now, my eyes were as wide as saucers while she just calmly rolled her hair curler by curler.

She had to be under the Imperius Curse.

_She just had to be_.

"But that's not fair to Andrew, Dorcas, he really likes you and…" I started to argue but she held her hand up to cut me off.

"Wouldn't it be even more unfair to lie to Andrew even more? Frankly, Lily, I have fancied James for a long time. And if you're adamant that you don't have any feelings for him, then I want to have a go at him."

"But," I swung my legs over the edge of my bed to get a better look at her "James is a person too. You can't just decide if you want to have a go at him without his consent. I mean this might be hard for him because he claimed he really had strong feelings for me and it's not fair to move in on a person who's confused…"

"I thought you were so sure that he only liked you for shallow reasons. And besides, if he moves on quickly, it saves you hassle from feeling guilty, right? The two of you can just spend time together as friends with no worries. Because he won't pester you anymore since he'll quickly be moving onto someone else. And you won't have to worry about feeling like you're leading him on either. It's a win-win situation really." Her candid tone really set something off within me.

I didn't know why, but I found it extremely aggravating.

And Marlene's murmurs of agreement didn't help much either.

"You're talking about him like he's some dog! I mean he may not seem like it but he does have feelings you know! Out of respect for James, can't you just give him some space…"

"Don't you mean out of respect for _you_? Because it seems like it's becoming to be all about how you feel, Lily. _You _feel that it would be too soon. This isn't about James's feelings—frankly, you don't know him as well as you think you do. I hate to say this, but you sound very conceited right now. You've been complaining to us all month about how you don't understand James could have changed so much in such a short amount of time, but he's always pretty much been that way around me. _I've _spent more time with him, believe it or not. Maybe if you hadn't been so quick to write him off, you could have been good friends with him much, much, much earlier." I couldn't explain why but I was shaking as she said this and it made it worse that Dorcas herself was still calmly rolling up her hair.

"Dory…" Marlene's cautious tone rang out through the thick tension, but neither one of us responded for a few minutes. Finally, she had set all of her hair and turned away from the vanity. I expected her to move to her own bed but she instead took a seat at the foot of my bed, paying no mind to my flushed face.

"I don't fancy James," She smirked at my incredulous expression "I was just testing you and, honestly, I see a bit of a sore spot with this whole situation. I think you're scared, Lily. Deep down, I think you want James to pine after you like some chivalrous gentleman until you're ready to admit that you've had feelings for him all this time—you're just too prideful to admit it. But you know what? James is most likely under the impression that you want nothing romantically to do with him. And some girl is going to eat him up in an instant." She snapped her fingers, wearing that coy smile that sent sinking feeling down to my gut.

This is where I had my struggles with Dorcas because she truly had a cunning streak in her that sometimes I wondered why she wasn't placed in Slytherin.

"I _don't _fancy James." I bit back at her only to have her grin even more.

"If you don't fancy James, then all is well. Now you'll both be able to find love elsewhere. But tell me, Lily," She leaned in close to my ear and lowered her voice greatly "If you don't fancy James, then why are you quivering so much?" Her hand went to the lamp of my nightstand, turning it off with a swift click. She then got up and walked to her own bed as she chuckled a bit to herself.

"Dorcas, what did you say to her?" chided Marlene but she only got silence in response.

That was the first night since O.W.L.s week that I couldn't sleep a blink.

* * *

_**Katherine**_

"You're lingering around too much, Wright. Keep close." His harsh whisper felt hot against my ear, which made an uncomfortable giggle escape out of me.

"No laughing on this mission." Although his reprimanding sounded quite stern, he started to laugh himself.

"Is that giggling I hear?" I retorted as I turned towards him, slowly walking backwards. A wide grin spread across his lips, twitching with suppressed laughter.

"That was a cough. A very jolly cough if I may say so myself." Just as I was about to make a clever reply about how his 'coughing' sounded like a mix of Slughorn's chortling and a yowling dog, Sirius quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him.

"A love confession? Oh, but we mustn't...! We haven't arranged a proper dowry yet…!" I started to laugh once more but he promptly put his hand over my mouth as he brought us into the closest room, which…was a cramped closet.

"Wow, the Astronomy Tower sure has changed…" I teased before he quickly shushed me, leading me behind the furthest shelf of the closet.

There was just barely enough room for the two of us squeeze behind it, but we managed to fit.

Albeit a bit snug if I had to be honest.

It became more and more eerily quiet the longer we stayed pressed up against each other. I shifted slightly only to knock down a mop, which gave off a faint clunking sound.

Wait, if there were cleaning supplies around us…

"Are we in a supply closet of Filch's?" I asked only to have Sirius shift to put his finger over my lips.

"He's on this level…" He breathed lightly, pulling his hand back down.

Squirming was hard not to do since we were so squashed together. Because he was so tall, he had to hunch over me to get at least some comfort while my back was firmly pressed against the wall. Without much thought, I jerked my head up, our lips roughly meeting each other for a brief second.

Every nerve jolted in my body.

Before I could apologize profusely like the nervous wreck I was, the door to the closet creaked open with Filch grumbling about stupid, insolent children running about the school like it was a bloody carnival.

"Where the bloody hell is my damn mop?" he grumbled as he switched dim light on. My hands pressed themselves against Sirius's chest as I tried to sneak a glance at Filch.

Sirius breathed at a slow pace, his heart pounding underneath my right hand. It was as if all of my senses were incredibly heightened in that one moment. I titled my head down as far as I could so I wouldn't risk mashing my face against his again.

Even though I was very well aware that Sirius Black was a sought after heartthrob at Hogwarts, it never really clicked with me with what most girls saw in him until I was stuck in a closet with him.

Then, all of a sudden, it was like I was _too _aware of him.

He wasn't the same git I was running around with in Hogsmeade yesterday. No, instead, he was unexpectedly much taller than I thought he and was currently towering over me.

Without a moment's notice, his demeanor completely changed to something far more sophisticated than I ever expected of him.

And it intimidated the fuck out of me.

"Hmmm," Filch's hoarse voice broke my fretting trail of thoughts "Why is this cleaner knocked down? Some brat's been in here."

Well, shit.

There was no way of getting out of this.

Foolishly, I stood on the tips of my toes trying to better arrange myself and disturbed a huge pile of dust. Almost immediately, Filch stiffened as the dust settled around the front of the closet.

"Hello?" he barked out as he took a few steps forward.

Well, maybe if I cried hard enough when he caught us, he would be so delighted that he'd forget to give us a proper detention.

Suddenly, as if it was an act from God himself, a huge clattering sound sounded from the hallway.

"Oi!" Pounding footsteps took off in the same direction of the noise "You bloody little whelps better get back here! I have some shackles that would fit you well!" The door the closet swung shut, leaving the two of us in a huddled mess.

"Has he ever gotten to use those shackles? And did you make that noise out there?" My questions came out shaky as I tried to slide away from Sirius but with him moving at the same time, we kept bumping against one another.

"I don't think so because he would have used them on James and me by now. Here," He pulled me tight to his chest and scooted out of the space at a fairly quick pace "Now we're both free. As for the noise…I may have or may have not been the cause of that." He winked as he flicked his wand at me.

So he was capable of non-verbal magic.

Of course Sirius Black would be capable of that.

"I…um…sorry about almost giving us away." Oh god, what a terrible apology.

I just _oozed_ with great self-assurance.

"No worries. You, uh," The light flickered as he ran his hand through my hair "There was some dust. Well, a lot of dust. In your hair, I mean." He scratched his head briefly before shoving his hands in his pockets.

He almost looked…

Bashful.

"W-wait," I cleared my throat and attempted an air of false confidence "Why are we so awkward all of a sudden?"

"Well, you're the one who got all stiff out of nowhere." He countered with a bit of a defensive stance, which honestly caught me off guard.

"No, I'm quite sure _you _were the one got pretty stiff first." I jabbed him in jest only to make him even more uncomfortable, which confused me because I only said…

Fuck.

"Oh, shit, I absolutely didn't mean to insinuate anything of the penis nature." Penis nature? What was wrong with me?

"I mean it's not like I could even notice something like that. I am in no way any expert on genitals—male genitalia especially—and I couldn't tell you what a suspicious lump was in some bloke's trousers if you paid me. I would be the worst professional erection spotter in the world. I purposefully just assume everyone's trousers just bend at weird angles, because hell, sometimes it looks like I have something growing down there…" Howling laughter from Sirius cut off of the rest of my rambling.

He was doubled over, breathless with laughs coming out with every other gasp for air.

"You're mental, Katherine." He finally managed to choke out while I nervously smiled, starting to feel a little bit at ease.

Deep down, it did bother me a bit when people would call me loony or insane but it never really bothered me if it was Sirius.

With him, it was like being socially inept wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

In fact, he seemed to find it endearing in a way.

"Come on. We came all this way to stargaze and we're not going to let Filch or trouser tents ruin that." His fingers interlaced with mine as we quickly scrambled out of the closet.

Thankfully, he was leading the way, seeing how my face was shades beyond my normal complexion. I didn't know what to make of running around in dark corridors while holding hands with a boy, but even I couldn't pretend it was just something of pure fun.

It was really frustrating to have my hormones get all willy-nilly all of a sudden.

After a turning a few corners, we finally met the staircase to the Astronomy tower. A dim light shone from the curve of the spiral staircase, illuminating just enough for us to see.

Carefully, we tiptoed up the staircase while listening for sounds of bodily fluids being exchanged. What we heard instead was complete silence, which was a bit of a let down really.

Peaking his head around the entrance of the tower, Sirius signaled that it was safe to continue.

"Wow," I looked at the open ceiling that revealed many constellations "It's a shame I can't remember any names of these stars."

"I feel even more ashamed because I haven't the slightest idea where my namesake is located. Well, actually, my namesake was just after a relative, so it wasn't even like my mother was being creative. You think she had to been with a name like _Sirius_." He leaned back against the professor's desk, his head titled up towards the sky.

"I rather like your name." I sat upon the table opposite of him as I tried to see what he was looking so intently at.

"Is that so? I'd rather have a simple name. Like yours. My first name is alright and all, but when you see my whole name, all that comes to mind is pureblood fanatics." He was now looking at me out of the corner of his eye, which made me self-conscious.

We stared at each other like that for a good while. It was just bloody ridiculous on how he could look relatively attractive in every position one could think of. When he looked his worst was most likely the equivalent of Severus Snape looking his best.

Who would have ever thought that I would have been sitting up in the Astronomy Tower—the motherfucking tower of all towers—just causally talking to Sirius Black?

Originally, I had little to no opinion of him.

And now I had such an immeasurable view of him that it kind of scared me shitless.

No, it _completely _scared me shitless.

How much longer would I be entertaining to him?

Perhaps if I had the restraint of a Ravenclaw, I could have just watched him with curiosity and never have spoken to him that night four weeks ago, but that was all much too late to regret now.

"Everything okay?" Our staring contest had ended as he swung his legs around towards me.

"Why do you like spending time with me? You keep asking me how come we've never met until now while all I want to know is, of all people, why spend time with me?" A breeze drifted in from the open part of the tower, prickling my skin with little bumps.

"I don't really know myself if I have to be honest. You're just different than other people. I don't know why, but I feel just as comfortable around you as I do with Prongs and Moony. Not that I think of you as a man or anything, because obviously, you're a woman and I'm very well aware of that…"

"Who is Prongs and Moony?" I cut him off of his tangent. He looked confused for a moment but then he shook his head with a soft chuckle.

"Oh, did I call them by those silly nicknames? Prongs is James and Remus is Moony. It's something we came up with a few years back." They had nicknames for each other?

I wanted a nickname! The only tnickname I had was fucking Kitty, which made me sound like a tiny, little strumpet.

"How come James is Prongs? And why Moony for Remus? These names sound highly suggestive to me. Do you run a flourishing sex club in the Gryffindor Common Room? Can I be Twit Twat? Or Twats Galore? Wait, do you accept Hufflepuff members?" I was getting increasingly jealous by the minute due to my lack of a nickname.

"Merlin," He shook his head once more "Even we are not that creative. You see it has to do with us being…" He drifted off, squinting his eyes in some type of intense thought.

"Being…? You're leaving me in suspense here, Wanky. That's what I imagine your nickname to be." The appalled look he gave me was completely priceless.

"Wanky? No, if anyone were going to be Wanky, it would be James. My nickname is Padfoot." He puffed his chest with pride while I just blinked.

Padfoot?

_Really?_

What the hell did Padfoot even _mean_?

"That's a horrible nickname. James, Remus and Pettigrew really let you down on that one. If I don't have a background story on these names, I'll just be under the impression that your children will have terrible names." Immediately, he took offense at this and jumped off from the desk.

"Why that is just a baseless opinion! Our nicknames happen to come from…our Patronus forms." Actually, that was a remarkable accomplishment on their parts.

So I let him wear that ridiculous smirk because I would also be extremely smug if I could cast a full Patronus.

"So…James is a tree. Remus is a moon. And you're…a slipper. Those are _awful _Patronuses." I couldn't let him be cocky for too long though.

"What…! No! No, no, no! Okay, I'll let you guess again but I'll give you some hints. James's Patronus has pointy antlers on its head, so it's a ….?" He motioned for me to finish his sentence while I stared blankly in return.

"A…? A what, Katherine?" His pressing only added on even more pressure and I did _not _do well with pressure.

Antlers….antlers…

Moose had antlers but Sirius probably meant pointier antlers.

Maybe an antelope?

No, I couldn't say that because that was a stupid answer.

Antelope? Absolutely not. It couldn't…

"An antelope." Fuck. I just had to go with the worst answer because it wouldn't make sense for me to say something credible.

"What? Goodness, no! His is a _stag_. And you know what is funny? A little bird told me that Lily's is a _doe_. Which to me, sounds like…"

"Sounds like they could make little deer babies." I winked at him as he earnestly nodded in agreement but suddenly, his face fell a bit.

"It's a shame Lily shut him down…Well, anyways, Remus's Patronus likes to howl at the moon." Oh, well at least that one was easy enough.

"A wolf. No wait," I started to doubt myself "A dingo? Wolf would be too easy, right?" His laughter indicated otherwise.

"No, it's a wolf. Dingo is awfully creative though. I rather like that. Dingo…hm, I really envy the wizard who has a dingo Patronus."

"But you had to call him _Moony_? At least Prongs sounds interesting. But Moony sounds like the runt of the litter who is a bit on the stupid side. If I were Remus, I would go by _Darkfang_. No, that's just as dumb. I would go by…_Blackfang_. No…that doesn't work either. You and your friends really did an injustice with that name though." It was no wonder Remus seemed to be cranky with his friends half the time.

I would be too if I was called _Moony._

Really, he was entitled to some sass with that ludicrous name.

"I'll let Remus know your thoughts on his nickname, he'll find it humorous. Okay, before I tell you mine, I'll let you know that Peter's nickname is Wormtail…"

"_Wormtail_? I was wrong about Moony. Wormtail is by far the worst. And how in the world is Pettigrew capable of casting a Patronus when I'm not? That's not fair because I know for a fact that I get higher marks than he does in all of our classes. I only casted a corporeal Patronus _once_ and it only lasted a few seconds." My legs were comfortably crossed as Sirius now leaned on the table that I was sitting on.

"You didn't even let me give you a hint. Peter's Patronus tends to live in places like a sewer system." Why was he so proud of these terrible names when they were obviously a travesty?

"The only thing I can think of is poo when it comes to sewers. Oh, I don't know…a maggot? Because it's like a worm?" He gave me that cocky smirk, shaking his head no.

"It's a rat. You have to admit that Wormtail is a pretty clever name for a rat." Well, Pettigrew's Patronus was by far the most fitting out of all of them.

"So, you're Padfeet…"

"Padfoot." I nodded at his correction and continued to speak once more.

"Padfoot…I don't even know how to guess that one. It must mean soft feet…babies have soft feet?" My senseless question hung in the air as he shook his head again, still smiling at my foolishness.

"A dog. My Patronus is a dog. They have padded feet." Oh, how cute. He and Remus had Patronuses that went along together. Imagine their Patronuses running around together in some type of wolf pack.

Now I wanted a dog Patronus. Then when I was proficient enough in magic—meaning when I was around the age of fifty because everyone knows that fifty year olds suddenly have their life together—we could conjure our puppy Patronuses to run around.

It was odd but the thought of wispy little doggies just made me extremely happy.

"Well, what type of dog? A Chihuahua? That would be too adorable. Yours would be the most regal Chihuahua as well. Oh now my heart is set on a Chihuahua, don't tell me otherwise because I'll be let down." I held my hand over my heart while I noted in the back of my mind that I put on theatrics much more than I realized.

"I…uh, can't really tell you the breed. It's a large dog and when I say large, I mean it's _giant_. I'm talking about the size of a bear." This man just had to be the most interesting person in the world.

He couldn't simply be a bulldog or a mutt, no; he had to be a _bear dog_.

When he locked eyes with me in the next moment, I knew what question was coming.

And I silently prayed that he wouldn't ask it.

"You said you casted a corporeal one for a few moments. You had to have seen its form. So…Katherine," My panicking face only gave him another reason to smirk "Let's come up with a nickname for _your _Patronus."

Oh, heavens, no.

Please anything but that.

"Oh, you would find mine boring! Please! Look at that star up there," My hand shot up towards the ceiling and picked a star at random "Look how bright it is. It just shines, you know. What a wonder. I bet that star has an interesting life story, like maybe it has lots of grandbabies and…"

"Oh, come off it, Wright. It's only fair you tell me yours." Were dazzling smiles something Sirius took lessons in?

And how often did he brush his teeth?

He had to have used whitening charms for those pearly whites.

"Well, if you must know, you must come closer." I beckoned him to which he quickly complied, propping himself up on the table.

"No, closer." I insisted even further. His ear was now inches away from my mouth, but I still persisted.

"_Closer_." This was barely audible but he still heard it nonetheless. My lips touched the inner ridges of his ear as I spoke.

"My Patronus is Dumbledore's left testicle." I proclaimed in a much louder tone, basking in the glory of his pouting face.

"That's just cruel. I'm normally not that gullible." He stretched his neck and I swear to god that was the first time I ever found someone's neck muscles attractive.

For fuck's sake, my heart was pounding at sight of a bloody neck.

It was like all of these hormones were just dormant inside of me and then they all agreed on that tonight was going to be the night that I would become the monster of all PMSing women.

"Are you really going to be that cruel and not tell me?" Our faces were inches away from each other, my heart pounding up into my esophagus.

"Well," I cleared my throat and kept reasonably good composure "It's a well-guarded secret. Only the privileged can have any knowledge of it." I slid off the table and started to slowly walk away, only to have him catch up in two strides because his legs were that long.

"So, I'm assuming that I don't fall into the privileged category? Is there any way I can earn said privileges?" He leaned over my shoulder with ease, unaware of my poor heart pounding away.

"If you insist, then I will tell you of the one task that you need to do. You have to be able to catch me within the next thirty seconds. Starting…now!" Dashing away without giving him time to comprehend my instructions was probably an advantage on my part—or it seemed so in the beginning—but he was able to quickly corner me near the back of the tower.

"That…that was a bit of a let down. I was expecting a full on chase for least fifteen minutes." I tried to duck underneath his arm but he bent down with me at the same time.

"Would you look at that? I'm pretty sure that I caught you in thirty seconds, well five seconds is more like it. Now surrender!" He threw his arms out dramatically which gave me a chance to run past him.

"Oh no you don't! Not today, Wright!" Just as I thought that I had gotten away, he pulled my hand back and we ended up tumbling towards the open part of the tower.

My eyes were clenched shut for the impact for the floor and once I opened them, all I saw were grey orbs gazing back at me. Except, in this light, they looked almost cerulean—such a deep blue that I forgot to breathe for a moment.

Crisp air whooshed against my face, turning all of my sweat cold as I harshly breathed in through my nose.

"Hm, I never really appreciated the view before, especially with as much as I've been up here." He spoke calmly, not paying much attention the fact that he was on top of me.

And how incredibly heavy he was, may I add.

"So you're telling me that you would just wank off in that corner over there and…not to a glorious view?" I managed to breathe out once more, despite being under all of his pressure.

"You're hilarious," He allowed a smile with his dry remark "And sorry, are you uncomfortable?"

"Just…a…bit…" He simply chuckled at my groan and pushed his arms up so I could slide away from him.

After a few gasps for air, I splayed out on the ground and stared up at the ceiling while Sirius gazed over the outlook, both of us taking in the beauty of nature or some bullshit like that.

"I must warn you, Black," I yawned as I stretched my arms as far as I could "As alluring as I am with such poise and grace, you can never fall in love with me." I twisted my face in the nastiest way I could manage, but he just looked at me with great curiosity.

"I know you like to say outlandish things, but what would be so outlandish about me fancying you? It's not like you're some disfigured trollop who repulses everyone. Give yourself some credit." That…that was an unexpected compliment.

"If I had a romantic bone in my body, I would read into that entirely too much." Merlin, I was already reading into it too much.

"Good thing neither one of us is a romantic then." He pulled out his wand and began to twirl it between his fingers, something I personally never could accomplish because of my fumble fingers.

"Hah, tell me about it. If I were more passionate then I think I wouldn't have as many problems." Part of me cringed of what that applied.

Oh well, if he were to press, I'm sure he would be satisfied with vague details.

"Problems? In the department of _amour_? Do go on." His wand stopped twirling.

"The reason I was crying earlier was because of this dumb bloke. How utterly cliché is that?" My humorless laugh was met with silence, which made me sit up to get a good look at Sirius's expression.

"Who's the sod that made you cry? Do I know him? I could certainly make him cry if that would make you feel better. None of us idiots here are worth tears. I don't see why Marlene cries so much over me when she could cry over someone who deserved it." It was hard to make out his face, but it touched me to think that he took offense for me.

"You don't really know him. I don't either. We're not friends even. It was just a physical fling that got all fucked up." Even though it sounded like a lie, it was more of an ambiguous truth.

Honestly how was I supposed to tell _anyone_ that I willingly slept with Kirk?

"If the whole ordeal left you in tears, then it sounds to me that he took advantage of you."

"Oh, please. I had just as much control of the situation as he did. I guess I just had a better opinion of him than he deserved." To my credit though, Henry wasn't always an insufferable idiot.

That was just a recent development.

"Now I feel bad. Here I've been moaning and groaning about Marlene when you've had some troubles yourself." We were both looking outside at the night sky that was littered with stars, the mood continuing to grow even more comfortable.

It was nice to get a little something off your chest once in awhile.

"That whole stupid fling ended around the same time when I stumbled upon your break up. Isn't that wild?" He turned towards me as I said this, shrugging a bit as he gave what I said some thought.

"Fate works in odd ways I suppose."

"I suppose so." I replied before returning my attention to the Butcher's Cleaver, the only constellation I knew.

We sat that way for such a long time that I couldn't even really tell how long it had been.

Sirius now held a stoic expression, his eyes glazed over with deep thought. Even with the pleasantness of the night overall, I felt lonely in that one moment.

As much as I liked to pretend that I could read Sirius Black like a book, he truly was a mystery.

Rumors from last year drifted into my mind. Whispers of how Sirius got disowned by his family were constantly traded around behind his back, something he surely was aware of. How surreal it must have been for him to constantly be under watch of so many people.

It seemed as though whatever he did people took great interest in it. From the ostentatious pranks to disastrous relationships, people typically gossiped about him every week. It was a wonder how he managed to brush it off as much as he did.

I probably would have stared at him all night if it hadn't been for one of his knitting needles stabbing in me in my side.

"Ouch, oh fuck," I quickly dug in the inner pockets of my robe "Do you want your knitting? I'm surprised you got this far already."

"How in the world did you get that?" The distant look in his eyes melted as he took the needles and yarn from me.

A warm feeling settled in my stomach when we locked eyes.

"It's a funny story but…well I tried to summon my own knitting but envisioned yours by mistake. They must not have any anti-theft enchantments on them since I don't think people make a point to steal yarn." I started rub the sore spot where the needle had pricked me.

"Well, now we have something to go from. We'll steal all the yarn, you and I. And then we'll knit a huge house and all its furniture. I think I'll tell McGonagall I have new career plans." He fiddled with the needles, most likely debating on whether or not to start finish his current row.

"That sounds swell and all but…I'm a terrible knitter." My confession was met with a raised eyebrow.

"Really? And here I thought I was bad." He had to have been joking because his skill was on par with my grandmum.

"You should give that scarf to me when you're finished. I'll give you mine in return. Wouldn't it be amusing seeing a Gryffindor wearing Hufflepuff colors?" He gave me another skeptical look in response.

"You just told me that you're a terrible knitter and you want me to give you my hard work?" It may have just been me but it seemed as though he started to clutch the ball of yarn possessively.

"Oh, I'm sorry Sirius. I wasn't aware that Gryffindors didn't like sharing. I thought that was only Slytherins." A brief fire lit up in his eyes at being compared to a Slytherin, but it quickly subdued as he realized my intent was just to tease him.

"If you put it like that, then I'm going to have to give you this scarf." The needles were now moving as he worked on finishing the current row. I watched him in return for the next few minutes while I wondered in the back of my mind about how much did he truly hate Slytherins.

Here I thought it was just an ongoing rivalry with lots of fun pranks and insults on the Gryffindors' behalf, but now I was getting a different vibe from it.

Really, I was so oblivious all of those years and didn't consider that other houses could have such intense hatred for one another.

Now I felt bad for comparing him to a Slytherin, seeing how he was most likely sensitive about it due to most of his estranged family members being in that house.

Maybe I could lighten the mood with…

"A unicorn." I broke the silence to which he frowned in confusion.

"What?" His smile wavered in confusion.

"It's a unicorn. You know…what you so desperately wanted to know earlier." Yes, my Patronus was a bloody unicorn.

"…_Oh_," From his expression, I could tell he was already working on a stupid nickname "That really just…I don't even think I need to come up with a name for your Patronus because it's already hilarious enough on its own. Of course you would be a unicorn! Wow! A unicorn, a fucking unicorn! This is just too much for me. I have so many jokes I could tell but I can't decide on the best one." His laughter echoed in the tower while I tried to look irritated with him, but I ended up relenting with my own laughter.

"You're not going to let me live this one down, are you?" All I got in response was more wolf-like guffawing.

"You better believe I won't." Well, if it was only Sirius who knew, then I didn't mind too much.

Even if he spent the rest of the night muttering _unicorn _to himself with bouts of snickering, I still didn't mind.

In fact, my normally shameful Patronus didn't seem so bad for once.

* * *

_**James**_

"Oi, Moony," I stepped into our bathroom to see him furiously brushing his teeth "You owe me two Galleons."

After a few more strokes with his toothbrush, he spat a wad of spit into the sink before turning towards me.

"What? We didn't even agree on stakes, Prongs." He said as he wiped his mouth with his towel while I reveled in him calling me Prongs.

Him using our given nicknames meant he was in a playful mood today.

And a playful Moony brought joy to the world everywhere.

In fact, a joyful Moony could bring babies back from the dead and grant some old, shriveled up hag eternal youth with just a smile.

"Oh you and I both know that two Galleons is our normal betting rate." I started up the sink and filled it up with warm water as I set up my shaving kit. Steam started to fog up the mirror in front of us but I managed to catch a glimpse of Padfoot slinking in.

"Good morning, my sweet wittle Padsy-wadsy!" I greeted him to which he ignored me and started to piss in the urinal.

"You were out late last night. But not any later than, say, two in the morning, right?" Oh Moony was such a sly devil, trying to coerce the half-awake Padfoot to go along with his statement.

"I don't know." Padfoot mumbled in response as he flushed the urinal, moving towards the sink to wash his hands.

"Hey, don't think of putting your piss-covered hands in my shaving water." I warned him to which Padfoot snorted.

"Because I just pee all over my hands, Prongs. That's how I go to the bathroom" To my horror, he swashed his hands in the full sink a few times.

"Did you just see that? He put his pee-pee hands in my shaving water!" I tried to get Moony to see the severity of the offense that was just committed, but he just laughed as he left the bathroom.

"You still owe me two Galleons!" I called after him.

"Let's make it double or nothing on something else." Oh, he truly liked to gamble.

I could work with that.

"Fine, we'll figure out something at breakfast." He nodded briefly at my offer before disappearing back into the room.

"What the hell are you two prattling on about?" A grumpy Padfoot was typical in the morning, but today he just seemed so _endearing_.

I just knew all of the crankiness would fade away as soon as he saw that little brunette Hufflepuff ranting about terrible Quidditch teams or her bladder.

"Nothing, really. But you got home around three last night didn't you? Or should I say this morning since technically it was today…"

"Yeah, I suppose it was around that time." He started to run the shower and rapidly threw off all of his clothes, something I was used to.

Out of all four of us, Padfoot was the least self-conscious.

"_Hippogriff, hippogriff, belly full of mischief_…hey!" Padfoot interrupted my rendition of my favorite nursery rhyme by chucking a bar of soap at me from over the top of the shower.

"You only know that one line and you sing it over and over whenever you're in a good mood—which, by the way, confuses me since you declared that you were done with love. That's why I went to get you some sweets you know." Oh, that was so kind of him except I never got a single biscuit.

"For the moment, I am not concerned with my own love life, but I may or may not be interested in the general concept of love." Or with his concept of love if I had to be specific.

"If I were patient enough, I would ask what exactly that entailed but I don't think I can handle that at this moment. I'm glad that you're not hung up on Evans though." Yeah, well, there was no point in getting upset over something that was never going to happen.

Even if it did take five or six years to fully understand…

Well, there was no room for a glum mood this morning.

"_Hippogriff, hippogriff, belly full of mischief! Hippogriff, hippogriff…_oi! That is a very expensive bottle of shampoo you just threw!"

* * *

"Katherine, my dear new friend, please sit over here. I insist!" Perhaps that was little bit too strong, but the friendliness had to be conveyed.

For her to madly fall in love with Padfoot and make a thousand babies with him, she had to be comfortable around his friends. Then they could name all of their children after me.

The small Hufflepuff girl looked bewildered for a moment, looking around the Great Hall for whoever just called out to her.

Which was insulting because I thought I had a pretty distinct voice.

"Wright, get your arse over here!" Well, now maybe that was a bit too aggressive but it made her finally see me.

Hesitating, she stayed still in her spot until I motioned enthusiastically for her to sit next to me.

Finally, she obliged, pacing over with her head down.

"Hi, um, I don't know where Sirius be…I mean I don't be where he be is…where the is, oh bugger…" She started to stumble over her own words but I quickly waved her off.

"No need to be shy. Any friend of Sirius's is a friend of mine! So eat up, eat up! Sirius should be here in a few minutes. He's having a slow morning because he came in rather late last night." I winked at her, which only made her eyes widen.

"Sorry about eating all of the food that was meant for you! Sirius just said that we might as well…"

"Oh, don't tell me that you thought I asked you come over here so I could scold you for something so petty." It was something else to see her all nervous.

Was I really that intimidating?

"Well, one time you grew donkey ears on Alden because he accidentally mistook your box of Chocolate Frogs for his…" She laughed a bit but still held onto that wary look.

Goodness, I really was a brute back then.

Must have been a side effect of puberty.

"I can assure you, Katherine, that you will be donkey ear free for the rest of breakfast. Can't say I can guarantee the same thing for lunch though." A hearty laugh boomed out of my stomach as I clapped her on the back.

It was then I realized that I had a lot of potential to be an obnoxious dad.

Well, looking at my own father, I suppose that it was a thing of genetics.

"Katherine, hello!" Moony took a seat in front of me "I have a question, if you don't mind answering it." He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and I picked up on his cue.

Double or nothing was coming.

"Did you and Sirius happen go to the Astronomy Tower last night?" Katherine opened her mouth to answer but I quickly interjected.

"Or…or! Or did you go to the Boathouse?" Her brow furrowed slightly in confusion as she looked back and forth between the two of us.

"We went to the Astronomy Tower but…"

"I just had to press my luck, Moony!" My exclamation was met with a smirk from him while Katherine only blinked, clearly puzzled as to what exactly we were talking about.

"Perhaps we could triple it, mate." His quill swiftly scribbled across a piece of parchment as he held up a finger for me to wait for him to go into further detail. He then turned it around and showed me a tally for the currents bets we had. Currently, we were tied.

"Hold on," Katherine leaned over the table to look at the parchment "If you two are betting on something, I would like to take a part in it." Well, her bashfulness certainly didn't stay around for too long.

"As much as I would love to have a third party, this bet is between Remus and I only." Otherwise Katherine would have the opportunity to fix every bet and wipe us out clean.

"Fine," She sniffed a bit "You two can make vague bets about whatever I say but then that means I can make a bet with either one of you." I could see that glint in her eyes, which honestly, instilled a bit of fear into me.

Something told me that she had a lot of experience of hustling people out of their money.

I, however, was not placed into Gryffindor for nothing.

The bolder the bet, _the better_.

"Alright, name the bet." My arms folded over my chest with great anticipation.

"If you get a love letter by the end of this week, you owe me five Galleons." How oddly specific…there had to be a catch.

"Okay, but let me name a few terms and conditions." If I set limits then it would be an easy bet, right?

"Of course." Nodding, she sat with a blank face and waited for me to rattle off the rules.

"One. The letter has to be delivered in person. Two. It cannot be planted from you _or _any of your friends—mutual friends included. And three. It has to be a sincere love letter." I held three fingers in her face to which she let out a boastful laugh.

"Is that all? This a certain victory for me then." If she was that cocky, then it had to be fixed.

But I hadn't gotten a love letter since third year.

Dare I shake on it?

Risk precious money that could be used on broom supplies?

Oh, why the hell not?

"You've got yourself a bet, Wright." We both smirked at each other, firmly shaking hands until one of us gave into the other.

Which took awhile because Katherine seemed intent on squeezing my hand until it was numb while I refused to cave in.

"James, I was thinking that we should move the meeting for the Prefects on Thursday to tomorrow since everyone seems to be busier on Thursday and…what are you two doing?" Lily took a seat on my other side and peered over my shoulder.

By now, I was pretty sure I was going to pop a vein while Katherine seemed to be breaking a sweat.

"Oh, uh," Feeling self-conscious, I ended the handshake "We made an agreement on something."

"On what?" A rose-like fragrance tickled my nose as Lily leaned in closer to me with an inquisitive look.

"Well, James and I have decided to…" My hand quickly met Katherine's mouth as I flashed a nervous smile at Lily.

"We decided to start a study group with Remus. And Sirius, if he's up to it." Perhaps if I didn't cover Katherine's mouth, Lily wouldn't have been looking at me with such a doubtful face.

"That sounds like an interesting study group." As dry as her remark sounded, she allowed a tiny smile before she focused her attention on the food in front of her.

Her slender fingers tightly grasped her fork, bringing a hunk of pancakes to her mouth. A string of syrup clung to her plump lips as she reached for another bite.

Without thinking, my thumb brushed over her lips to get rid of the syrup. The fork clattered against her plate with her flinching away from me.

"J-james! For god's sake, you almost made me choke!" Huffing in exasperation, Lily roughly brushed her mouth. The apples of her cheeks reddened to a peachy shade—a shade that was probably on my face as well.

"Sorry, Evans," I tried to keep a calm smile while my heart threatened to tear out of my chest "You had some syrup there and I just acted with little thought."

"Yes, yes," She nodded hotly "I can obviously see that. Bloody hell, you aren't my dad. You…"

"Morning everyone!" A now much livelier Padfoot joined all of us, slinging his bag off of his shoulder and dropping it onto Moony's lap "Your essay's in there."

"There are better ways of returning things, Padfoot." How beautiful was that? Moony actually slipped up on using our nicknames in public.

Sometimes I just wanted to pinch his cheeks so hard that they bled, he was so adorable.

"Ah, well, I'll keep that in mind next time. And why hello, Katherine!" He beamed at her as he piled his plate high with fat sausages.

"Sirius, I bet you a Galleon that Lulu comes, she is going to call you a mean name and then pour something on you." I almost blew milk out of my nose while Sirius gave her a disbelieving look.

"Why the hell would I even agree to that bet? It would just be handing money over to you." Shaking his head, he cut a sausage in half and started to devour it.

"No, mate, you take extremely stacked odds whenever they are presented." I said to him as I sniffed through my nose a few times to insure that no milk had gotten up there.

"No! That's utterly ridiculous and…"

"Are you too afraid, Wanky?" Wanky? Oh, that was a good name for him.

Wish I had thought of it.

"Alright, _Sparkles_. Fine, I accept. You know there are easier ways to ask for money but whatever I'll play along." Oh, how sweet.

They had _pet names _for each other. By the rate that they were going at, they would be married by next week.

Oh, next week!

"Sirius," I slid my glasses further up the bridge of my nose "Next week is Halloween." He looked perplexed but recognition flashed on his face for a brief second, making us both on the same page.

"Is that so? Katherine remind me to tell you something later." He returned his attention back to his plate while Katherine simply nodded, seeming to understand the secretive nature.

It was so subtle, I had thought we just made plans for a party without Lily catching on, but oh, was I wrong.

"Don't think I'm stupid because I know what you plan on every Halloween. And I really think that the Head Boy ought to know better." Hm, that seemed to be all she had to say because there was no more lecturing after that.

In fact the five of us had a really splendid breakfast that morning, what with Marlene and her bunch nowhere to be seen and Lily even dropped a hint about she wouldn't mind having caramel apples available on Halloween.

If it was bribery she wanted, I could certainly accommodate her.

We even left as a group to go classes together, something I thought would be awkward but everyone actually seemed to be pretty comfortable.

Although, Padfoot and Katherine lingered behind a bit as they murmured jokes to each other while giggling like first years.

But I didn't mind that since it would make their wedding come a lot sooner and save me the hassle of setting up dates for them.

"Katherine says that those trousers hide the true glory of your bum, James." Padfoot called out behind me. I had the perfect reply about how my bum brought our Quidditch team to many victories, but someone interrupted us.

"Hi James." It was a blonde Ravenclaw that shared many classes with me but I couldn't recall her name at thetime. Though I had spoken to her on a number of occasions.

"What's happening?" I responded back, to which she giggled and retreated to her group of friends.

Well, then.

I didn't know what to make of that.

"Oh, Potter, looks like you'll be paying up soon enough." Katherine taunted from behind me, while Lily turned towards me with suspicion swirling in her green eyes.

"Paying for what?" The tone of voice threw me off since it seemed to be a little hostile but then again, I would probably be annoyed if everyone around me kept making bets over the smallest things.

"Oh, you know Wright," I twirled my finger in circles near my head "She's just loony in the brain."

"If you say so." For some reason, she spoke in a curt manner with her eyes narrowed in distrust. As much as her sudden shift in mood peeved me, I stayed silent and just shrugged to appease her.

Honestly though, looking back on it, Katherine must have rigged that bet or had some upper hand in general.

Because that morning I had four more girls that I had barely spoken to randomly greet me.

And I knew better than to think it was just a bloody coincidence.

I could tell something big was going to happen but I couldn't place my finger on what it was exactly.

I just knew that the female population of Hogwarts seemed to be a little off today.

* * *

**Oooh, what's going to happen to James? I'll just give a hint and say that the rumor mill runs fast at Hogwarts. Anyways, the reviews I got were really nice and encouraging. As long as I have one reader who is waiting for the end of this story, I will continue to write! But please do leave your thoughts on developments and what not, as it gives me the idea of what you guys want to read. And I love talking to my readers too :) Thanks again for reading! Halloween party was going to be next chapter but it got set back a bit. It definitely is somewhere in the next three chapters though, don't worry. , I'm thinking next chapter is mainly going to focus on James.**


	10. Blubbery Twats and Hogwillies

_**Sirius**_

"When casting an atmospheric charm, you have to _feel_ the conditions of the weather that you're trying to cast…" Flitwick took a deep breath, his handle bar mustache wriggling about on his upper lip.

After a few moment of him being completely still, he gave a quick flick of the wrist with a bright light emitting from his wand for a split second before dissipating into the air.

A warm draft started to cover the classroom while everyone around me started to scribble away with their quills. Currently, we were learning about household charms that would be useful after we graduated. Basically, in Flitwick's own words, this lesson was going to be on the carefree side since we had a massive test the next class.

After a few more demonstrations, Flitwick retired to his desk and allowed students to approach him with questions that they couldn't ask during the lecture. I stared down at my own notes, only to find that I had just written _Charms 25/10/77._

Well, there was also a doodle of Kirk's head exploding, but that wasn't a completed masterpiece yet.

Laughter came from the other side of the room, a laugh I recognized.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Katherine holding her hand over her mouth as she held her wand over a textbook with Oates peering over her shoulder.

Was he the one who made her cry?

She didn't seem to talk to any other men besides him and Kirk.

The possibility of it being Kirk also had drifted through my mind, but Alden Oates seemed to be a much more likely candidate.

Still, there didn't seem to be any sexual tension between the two of them.

And sexual tension was _very _easy to notice.

Take Prongs and Lily for example.

At the moment, Prongs was intensely watching her ask Flitwick a personal question, his eyes following her every movement.

The thing was that he wasn't shy about it either.

Being quite perceptive, Lily's eye flittered towards his a few times while a tiny smile etched onto the corner of his mouth. Overall, she remained calm but she started to shift her long hair from one shoulder to the other, nodding probably too much at whatever advice Flitwick was giving her.

"So," I turned sideways at our table, which gave me a good view of the Hufflepuffs "What made you give up on Lily? I mean here you are boring a hole into the back of her skull and she's getting absolutely flustered. Makes no bloody sense to me."

His shoulders lifted up in indifference as he held his hands, still maintaining the carefree smile.

"She told me that I didn't have a single chance. And I'm respecting that," He looked around all him before leaning in further "If she wants to just be friends, I'm going to give her that. The last thing I want to do is make her resent me."

"Why are we whispering?" I teased but the deep wrinkle in his forehead raised some concern.

"I think your friend Katherine may have planned something. I'm thinking she takes her bets very seriously because I've had two girls basically ask me out this week." Pulling at his collar, he nodded over towards a light-haired girl near Katherine that currently was staring at him.

"The blonde Hufflepuff? She's easy enough on the eyes." I spoke under my breath as I looked around the classroom, trying to avoid eye contact with the said blonde.

"Yeah, I suppose so except I've never spoken to her and she comes up to me all 'Oh James, you darling thing you, let's do lunch'' and it really reminded me of my mum, Pads. _My mum. _I figured if I make my interest in Lily at least still somewhat apparent then maybe I wouldn't have to outright reject them." He started to write idly on his notes, which were surprisingly detailed compared to his old method of note taking.

Surely he wouldn't mind if I took a peek or two.

"Well," I casually slid his notes towards me "What would be the harm in going on a few dates?" Before I could start to copy them, Prongs slapped the quill out of my hand and took them back.

Oh, so he was a wee bit touchy.

"Because I don't want to date anyone right now. And how the hell could I go on dates with them? Hogsmeade isn't every weekend, you know." He hissed at me, straightening his notes back into its original neat pile.

He truly was emulating Evans without even noticing.

"You just have to get creative. It's a shame we don't have a special map that shows all of the secret parts of Hogwarts, but oh _wait_." He didn't appreciate my mocking tone seeing how he only frowned even more.

"I just don't want to, mate." Aw, now he was pouting like the cute little Head Boy he was.

I suppose I could relate since I, too, wasn't interested in dating, even though the first week after I broke up with Marlene was pretty interesting with all the girls who made propositions.

For some reason, though, they quickly stopped and I found myself having more peace than ever—save for Marlene's antics. When I relayed this insight to Prongs, he simply snorted as if I was some type of idiot.

"Because you look like _quite _the bachelor when you're constantly running around with Katherine. Everyone thinks you're trying to woo her." Well, everyone was just mad and completely daft then.

"You know very well that is not the case…"

"Is it, Padfoot, _is it_? Midnight trips to Honeydukes? To the _Astronomy Tower_?" How the hell did he find that out? That…well I suppose he could have looked at the map, which actually would have made sense.

"You make it sound much more scandalous than it really is. And I don't appreciate you using the map to draw conclusions like that." I glanced over at the topic of our conversation.

Her long, brown hair was kept in two braids, one of which was being pulled on by Oates. She didn't seem to mind too much, or was just used to it, since she just continued to squint at her textbook while muttering some incantation under her breath.

"What did you get it to say this time, Kitty?" Kitty, he always called her _Kitty_.

To me, it just didn't suit her and I bet it actually bothered her.

Kitty was the name of a prostitute that lived in that odd street in Diagon Alley or the name of a frigid, old cat lady who stuffed her cats once they died.

Katherine was simply Katherine.

I couldn't see her as anything else—except for maybe Sparkles.

"Hogwillies: A History of Wankers." I could tell that she trying to remain calm, but she beamed briefly at her accomplishment while her table erupted in roars of laughter.

Even though normally I would have been joining them, I felt irritated for some odd reason.

"You're a clever one aren't you, Katherine?" Abbott was now speaking to her, which greatly sparked my interest because Abbott was an absolute cad who actually lived up to his reputation.

A reputation of being an utter slimebag that is.

If it were _Abbott _that she had a fling with, it would make a lot of sense because they barely spoke to one another from what I saw.

"Yes. It's a wonder how we can communicate since I'm so clever and you're so...well, let's just say it's good that you have a decent face." More laughter came from their group while she gave him that mischievous grin.

It was strange because she always told me that she had few friends, but she seemed rather friendly with this lot she was currently with.

"Look at you," Prongs moved his head in my line of sight "Mooning over her. I'm not sure if you've noticed this, but you're currently frowning like a little boy does when his mummy said he couldn't have any sweets before dinner." Cursing inwardly, I turned my attention back to my blank notes. Having Marlene analyze my every move was bad enough but now _Prongs_?

"Maybe a little snog with her will chipper you up." Of course, he was only joking but my thoughts went to Sunday night when how I found out on accident just how soft her lips were.

For someone who could be so loud and unapologetic, she was quite docile in that moment.

Something on my face must have given my thoughts away because Prongs's eyes widened with a mix of shock and joy.

"Don't tell me that you two…"

"No." I kept it brief but he wouldn't have any of it.

"I know a liar when I see one. So, you…"

"For the last time, _no_." Because it wasn't a kiss and it was foolish of me to even think of that as accident as anywhere near a kiss. Luckily, he sensed the annoyance in my tone and dropped the topic.

I glanced back to the Hufflepuffs to see that Abbott and Katherine were still speaking to one another, my stomach sinking at the thought of them shagging since Abbott was such a rotten bastard.

He and Kirk really made quite the pair since one was a complete womanizer and the other a judgmental prick.

Yet they enjoyed each other's company, which was a mystery to many.

When class had ended they were still talking and—knowing how Katherine's anxiety isn't apparent to a lot of people and me wanting to free from social obligation—I casually approached the two of them.

"Oh, hey Sirius. Just give me a moment. I just need to finish writing down this last part." Katherine scribbled furiously on her notes, letting the quill fall out of her hand when she was done.

"Wait, you're actually on speaking terms with Black? I honestly thought you were just lying to Henry this whole time and just eating in the Common Room." A few obnoxious chuckles came after this but he quickly shut up when he noticed my straight face.

"Yeah, you caught onto me there, Abbott. I just made pretend so hard that this isn't actually Sirius, he's just a figment of my imagination that has somehow come to life." With one fellow swoop, she shoved everything from the table into her bag before turning to me.

"Where are we headed today?" She asked out of breath, her hair slightly frizzing out of their braids.

"James and Remus seemed interested in some type of study group in the Common Room. They said that it's a requirement that I bring you though or I can't join them." I couldn't help but slightly cringe at the last part because it was so apparent that they were scheming something along the lines of matchmaking.

Oh well, at least Moony wouldn't be completely obvious about it and would cover enough for Prongs that Katherine wouldn't catch on too much.

Hopefully.

"Wow, I am so happy that I am so well received. Sure beats following this git around and trying to find Kirk to set up practice times. The worse captain, I'm telling you." Oh, I didn't doubt her one bit. Nearly every play they did revolved around him holding the Quaffle the majority of the time.

"Wait, wait," Abbott moved between us "Are you the girl that everyone's saying that is Black's new wild fling—no offense Black," Oh, well when he put it like that then I _certainly_ couldn't be offended "You know Henry wouldn't like this, Katherine. Dating a _Gryffindor Beater_." He looked over his shoulder and flashed me a nervous smile as if that would somehow lessen the blow.

Oh, Abbott and his irresistible smile!

I suddenly just forgot all of the vague insults he threw at my face.

"Okay, so let me see if I'm hearing you correctly," She put her two fingers on her temple, as if in actual serious thought "_You _can go and sleep around with the Ravenclaw Chasers and there isn't anything but high fives and smacks on the bum for you. But if I'm just _seen_ talking to a Gryffindor Beater, I'm suddenly betraying our team. Did I get that part right? Okay, great. So it seems as though fraternizing with _Ravenclaws _is fine—oh wait, you also fucked Meadowes last year. I think I see your point. It's because of my vagina, right? It will ultimately make decisions for me since it's this huge bleeding monster. Which is strange because I swear some men think with other organs than their brains but since you're Co-Captain, I'll take your warning into consideration." With a pat on his shoulder, Katherine brushed past Abbott without giving him a chance to reply.

And I sincerely wanted to marry her then just for saying that to that miserable cad.

She motioned for me to follow her out of the classroom to which I quickly complied.

"That was quite mouthy of you." My observation was met with a nod, her chin pointing out in glee.

"Abbott can go bugger off. I always hate it when he tries talking to me." We passed by the Charms Corridor, which was flooded with many students trying to reach their respective common rooms.

"So, that bet you made with James…" Our pace slowed down as we reached the Grand Staircase, carefully weaving in and out of more clusters of students.

"Did he tell you about it? I have a secret but I can't tell you if you're just going to run and squeal about it to him." She casually shoved a first year student out of the way, who in turn stared at her in bewilderment but, of course, she didn't even notice.

"He told me that you thought that someone was going to write him a love letter? That's a very specific thing to bet on." We were about to go up to the fifth floor when she suddenly pulled me aside in the nearby corridor, bouncing on her every step.

"That's because someone _is_." Her whisper was hot against my ear and I involuntarily flinched.

"W-what do you mean?" Did my voice just crack?

"Well, before I went to breakfast that day, I was in the girls bathroom near the Great Hall. Anyways, I overheard these girls while I was doing my business, which was peeing, and one girl said that one of the Gryffindor girls told them that James was giving up on Lily once and for all. So, they go on to say that they wrote him a love letter and it sounds like they're going to give it to him some this week." Her chest was heaving with giddiness while I stood there dumbstruck, trying to figure out the whole gossip system of Hogwarts.

Apparently, it worked much faster than I thought it would.

"So, you kind of set up the bet." A shrug was all I got in response, but that smug look in her eyes gave her away completely.

Really, she was on a roll today, what with this fixed bet and her telling off Abbott…

"Say," She stopped waddling in circles once I caught her attention "Was Abbott the one…? You know…?" It took her a moment but when she burst out in disbelieving laughter, I knew my suspicions were completely unfounded.

"No way in bloody hell would I touch him. I told you that you don't know the guy. Abbott and I _loathe _each other. We always have. He's only been somewhat pleasant lately since he thinks that I'm friends with all of my roommates—roommates that he wants to shag—when I can't even tell you the name of the one that sleeps next to me. All I know is that she reads intense smut and I find her hidden side intriguing—but not intriguing enough where I'd actually want to be friends." I stared at the portrait behind her, which was an overweight man with three cats. They watched us with curiosity while Katherine continued to ramble about how she thought that roommate could be a possible murderer.

It was when the man slowly nodded at me as if we both knew some secret that I got the chills. I mean he was balding and had so many frills on his shirt that you couldn't tell where his many chins began, so having him nod at me with this leer really left me unsettled.

"Katherine," She paused in the middle of rant, her hands frozen in the air "Let's get going. We have company waiting on us." Although she frowned in confusion for a moment, she merely shrugged and trudged ahead of me, oblivious to the portrait now winking at us.

By the time we had reached the seventh floor, most of the students had filtered out except for the few Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Every time Katherine saw anyone with Gryffindor colors, she shadowed me and kept relatively quiet.

After the third time it happened, I finally caved and asked her what the hell was wrong with her.

"I'm just…I feel like a lot of Gryffindors think I stole you away from Lulu or something. You guys seem to have this pack mentality type of thing going on. Anyhow, she came up to me yesterday and told me that she wouldn't hold anything against me and I thought she was talking about the time I took her quill on accident in the fourth year but…"

"Wait, what?" I whipped around at her, causing her to stumble into me. Blushing, she rubbed her forehead as she took a few steps back while I felt my own face heat up.

"I took her quill on accident. I know, I know. It was terrible and I should have given it back but I didn't know how…" Oh, even when she was attempting to be serious, she was still full of nonsense.

"No," My hands met her shoulders as I tried to remain calm "You mean she actually approached you? Did you tell her to toss off? Because she has no business…"

"She was rather polite though. I didn't feel threatened. I just told her that I was pregnant with our first born and I'd send her an invite to the birth." Unfortunately, a group of Gryffindors passed us as Katherine declared this, sending me inquisitive looks.

All I could do was politely nod at them as Katherine went into vivid detail about how much blood would ooze out of her when the supposed baby was born while making these weird clawing motions with her hands.

"And people will come into the room and will think it's a murder scene…but it's the exact opposite since life has entered the world! Plot twist! They'll just see us all grisly and bloody, holding a moving blob that shits and pees twenty-four seven. And they'll be amazed, I tell you." The Fat Lady gave us both a disgusted look before pretending to busy herself with a stem of grapes.

"_Belladonna_." Although she had heard me perfectly well, the Fat Lady continued to nibble on the green grapes. She currently had quite the grudge against me for constantly coming in late at night, ruining her oh-so precious beauty sleep, so in return, she often gave me grief for every time I tried to entered the Common Room.

"Aheeeeem," I cleared my throat in the most obnoxious way I could think of "_Belladonna_."

Her plump lips gobbled another green grape as she blissfully ignored me.

"Bella," I strode up close to the portrait with clenched fists "DONNA!"

Oh, now she had the audacity to actually turn away from me. It didn't help with Katherine's outrageous laughter because the Fat Lady probably thought we were just mocking her.

"_Bellafuckingdonna_ you fucking blubbery twat!_" _The green grapes fell out of her hands with her gasping in astonishment while Katherine was now doubled over laughing so hard that it was silent.

"Well, I never!" shouted the Fat Lady before swinging open. Well, if that was what it took to get her to open the bloody door, then I'd gladly do it every time.

The Common Room was bustling with various students. Some had their Wizard's Chessboards set up for a quick game before dinner while a group of boys had all of their Chocolate Frog cards stacked up for a huge trading session. Katherine had lingered by that group, peering over their uncomfortable shoulders as she presumably sized up all of their cards.

"Oi, you two!" Prongs yelled from our normal nook by the bookcases, his tie loosened with a slightly mussed collar. Next to him was Moony with an assortment of books ready for reference for his essay.

Dragging Katherine away from the cards took a good minute, but her disappointment quickly faded as she lifted the sheer curtain that covered the majority of the nook. In fact, she seemed so enthralled that she didn't speak right away. Her mouth, instead, was hanging open with wonder.

"Did someone confund you, Wright?" Prongs motioned for us to take seats in the two chairs he saved for us before turning back to the small end table that he and Moony were sharing.

"It's like a secret clubhouse! I feel like we should start sharing secrets. I'll go first! One time…I had a dream where Professor Slughorn and I dueled the to death but instead of Slughorn dying, he was reborn as this _huge _baby and I had to raise him as my own." Both Prongs and Moony laughed as the images of Katherine rocking a fat Slughorn baby to sleep drifted through my mind.

It was disturbing to say the least.

"Bloody hell, Katherine, all we did was hang up that curtain to keep some type of privacy since…well, I haven't had much this week." Sighing, Prongs loosened his tie some more as he glanced through the sheer curtain.

"It's because girls think they have a chance with you since you've declared you no longer want in Lily Evans's knickers." Katherine's blunt remark took Prongs aback some but he didn't let it show longer than a brief second.

He then sat forward with intense interest.

"Well, how would you girls find that out so soon anyways? I don't recall making a press statement about it." In fact, Prongs had only told the rest of the Marauders about it, seeing how he normally doesn't discuss such personal topics with complete strangers.

Because, you know, he was sane and all.

"I'm guessing that Lily probably told someone and it travelled about that way." Oh, well leave it to Moony to provide plausible explanations. He just had to be the sensible one.

"_That fast_? Merlin, I don't think I've ever gotten this much attention from girls before. And I'm not sure if I like it or not." He slumped in his chair a bit, flicking the corners of Moony's books.

We sat in a comfortable silence for a good moment, basking in the good mood. It was just the right time of the day where the sun was setting through the Tower's windows, sending golden beams through the sheer curtain. Dust particles were floating everywhere, and although usually annoying, they almost seemed nostalgic in this point of view. I looked to Moony on my left, who was in the midst of intense thought with his quill to his mouth, and then to Prongs in front of me, who was now leaning on the two back legs of his chair. As for Katherine, well, I think she was planning how to overthrow the Gryffindor Common Room for her own interests.

"Well, you're James Potter," All three of them looked at me "You're a very nice catch. I mean I think a lot of girls have fancied you; it's just that they thought they had no chance when it came to Lily. And now that's it your last year, a lot of them are probably trying to get their last chance before it disappears like that." I snapped my fingers for emphasis, which caused Katherine to snap her fingers back.

"You snap your fingers so well. It's such a crisp sounding snap while mine is all dull and…" She drifted off into mutters, quietly snapping her fingers to her ears while Prongs shifted forward in his seat.

"If you put it that way, Padfoot, then I feel like I have to take these girls out or something. Do I just outright reject them or lead them on? Either way, I feel like this will just end in disaster." His hands covered his face as he slowly rubbed his eyes. It was funny because most men would kill to be in his position.

"Or you could just broaden the circle of your female friends, seeing how you really don't have any." I pointed out but all Prongs did was blink at me, unsure of how to respond.

"I mean…" The bookcase rattled as he leaned against it "I told Lily that I wanted to be friends but I don't know really know how to go about befriending women." In response, I nodded towards Katherine, who was now snapping with both of her hands with the most insane expression.

"Wright doesn't count since you befriended her first and besides, we don't see exactly eye to eye on _certain things_." He gave her a mock glare causing her to stand up from her seat with her chest puffed out.

"You wanna take this outside, Potter? You want to go? I'll take your poofy, Harpies-loving arse out any day…pfffft." She collapsed against her chair laughing, her legs splayed out with the least care in the world.

She was…unrefined and yet I loved it.

"We wouldn't even be able to fight because you'd be too preoccupied with admiring my bum." Prongs shot back at her without missing a beat. This ensued with even more cackling from her while Moony and I looked on with mild amusement.

"You see? You two are certainly friendly. It's easy, Prongs. Just talk with other girls as if they were Katherine. If you befriend other women, it will be easier to be friends with Lily." Although he scrunched his nose a bit, he gave me a slight nod as he flipped through one of his textbooks.

"Well, as long as they don't like poor, sniveling little excuses of Quidditch teams, I think we'll get along fine…"

"YOU WANT TO GO, JAMES?" Katherine was again standing with her arms wide open, trying her best to fight the smile that was twitching on the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah! I w-want to…I want," Prongs paused as he looked away laughing "I'll teach you what happens to people who swear by terrible teams. I'll knock you out into oblivion. and…oh, hi Lily." All four of us looked to see that the curtain was drawn back, revealing a red-faced Lily Evans.

"Hi Lily!" Surprisingly, Katherine was beaming at her, to which Lily allowed a small smile before sending Prongs a dirty look.

"Hi Katherine… James, the meeting is in five minutes." Her lip gave the slightest snarl before letting the curtain drop behind her.

"Oh, Prongs, you trouble maker you. Good luck befriending the fire-breathing dragon tonight."

"Stuff it, Padfoot." He grumbled as he walked over us, slapping the curtain out of his face and began his march to his certain doom.

"Sirius, you need to round some men so we can jump James and scare him into loving Puddlemere. It's a rough method, but it's tough love, I assure you." Pounding her fist against her hand, Katherine took on a serious expression that made me question if she was joking or not.

Although my free time was certainly pleasant what with Katherine serenading Moony with nursery rhymes and the birth of my genius idea to plant the itching powder I had bought in Kirk and Abbott's dorm, I could tell that Prongs was in for one hell of a night.

Which wasn't my fault, really, since I didn't make him fancy the moodiest girl in Gryffindor.

* * *

_**James**_

"I didn't forget!" I insisted to Lily, but that was just a waste of words seeing how she only quickened her pace as she continued to keep her head forward. After her cold reminder about the meeting back in the Common Room, she had refused to speak me throughout the entire meeting with the Prefects.

We were exiting the library after having to wait for the other Prefects to leave first, which took awhile since Snape took his time by unabashedly staring at Lily. She always tried her best to look professional, but I could always tell it unnerved her. Perhaps part of the reason why she was so worked up was because of not knowing how to face him in such close encounters.

I mean I would be on edge too if some hooked nose creep kept salivating over my every move.

"Come on, Evans!" I called after her, not really knowing what else to say except that I was the worse person in the world who didn't deserve her mercy.

Because with the way she was acting, she was starting to make me feel that way.

"You didn't have anything prepared! All you did was clap the Gryffindor Prefects on the back and then nod at everything I said! Dumbledore didn't give you the position of Head Boy just so you could wear a fancy badge, which you don't even bother to put on half the time!" Color flooded her cheeks as she whipped towards me, her hair flying all over the place.

"I don't want to tarnish the badge! And you dominate every meeting! I tried to tell you some topics that we could cover, such as the Slytherin Prefects abusing their power like they usually do, but _noooo_, that's just antagonistic. Or what about the policy on patrolling? How patrols should be longer than ten bloody minutes! But nooo, James will say it in such a harsh manner so let Lily do it instead, except she won't!" Both of us were now standing inches apart from each other, having a contest on who could glower the most.

Although I think I gave her pretty good competition, her angry face was clearly winning.

"You tried to tell me those topics five minutes before the meeting. Maybe if you haven't been so busy dating a million other girls this week then you could have actually made legit plans. I mean you're either frolicking about with that Katherine Wright or just wooing random girls in general." Whatever I had been prepared to say immediately slipped out of my mind as I stared at her like the idiot I was.

Did she not know of my master plan for Padfoot and Katherine to populate a new country?

The shade on her cheeks intensified when she noticed my silence. Looking down, she mumbled some sort of apology while I stood there, racking my brain for a proper response.

Logically, it sounded like she was jealous but this was Lily Evans.

And there was no guessing as to what exactly Lily Evans was thinking.

I could think that she was happy since she would be smiling at me but then she could go on to say 'I'm so happy because I've decided to shun you for the rest of my life.'

That was how terrible I was at reading her.

"I'm…I'm not dating a lot of girls. And…well…I want Sirius and Katherine to…er, well, get together." Well, my tactic was to start out with the obvious and then kind of fumble around for the rest of the conversation.

So far, I had the fumbling thing down pretty well.

She bit her lip as she looked to her side, nodding in acknowledgement. Locks of her hair wildly framed her face, which was so odd to see because normally her hair was so well kept. It really didn't make any sense, but seeing the usually calm and collected Lily scream at me with such a range of emotions only made her all the more appealing.

My heart had never thrashed like that before. Blood soared through every vein of my body and I could hear my own heartbeat get louder by the minute. The thought of my hand wrapped in her thick hair as I kissed the hollow of her creamy throat just made me weak in the knees. Right then and there, I wanted to push her against the wall and feel the warmth of her red lips—the same lips that would scream _Sod off Potter_ every time I asked her out in fifth year.

It wasn't bloody fair that one girl I couldn't have would be the one I desperately wanted almost to the point of need.

"I…I know, James. Sorry." Those apprehensive eyes under those heavy eyelashes just made me want to throw her into my arms and inhale all of her—the vanilla shampoo, the musty books she always surrounded herself with and the ink she always smudged on her left pinky.

Just looking at her made me feel like the scum of the earth.

It was impossible talk to her with such disgusting thoughts running through my head.

"I…I forgot something in my dorm. Go on to dinner and I'll meet you there later." As I walked past her, her slender fingers tugged at my arm.

The hair on my neck rose at the contact.

"I'm really sorry, James. I've been a bit short with you lately for senseless reasons and…" She stopped talking when I quickly tore away from her.

A lump formed in my throat as I saw her hurt expression.

To her, it looked like I was fuming when I really just needed to go cool off for _very _different reasons.

As much as I wanted to hug her and tell her how she was still incredibly attractive even when her hair made her look like a mental patient, I just rushed up the staircase like the little bashful schoolboy I was.

Feeling her gaze upon my back was the hardest thing to ignore.

* * *

A smudge kept appearing on the left lens of my glasses as I laid upon my bed, gazing at the Quidditch Posters I had accumulated over the years. Although dirty glasses normally didn't bother me so much, currently I just wanted to snap them in half and then stomp all over them.

Because right then, I was fucking tired of dirty glasses.

When I took them off to clean them, I looked back at my wall to see a moving blur near the lower corner of my bed. Squinting, I could tell that perhaps it was that embarrassing picture I still clung to.

That or the extremely hilarious one that I caught of Padfoot falling headfirst into the lake.

Upon further inspection, it was indeed the embarrassing photo of Lily Evans back in third year.

A photo that I, of course, had secretly taken like the little cretin I was.

Really I was no better than Snape in the terms of fancying her. And although I acknowledged the creepiness of it every now and then, I still had it taped to my wall for the following four years.

But that was going to change.

No more of James Potter's silly schoolgirl crushes.

Regretfully, the photo tore at the corners as I pried it off my wall but otherwise it was still relatively intact. Nostalgia sunk in me when I gave it a closer look.

It was one of the last days of the school year and many people were out in the courtyard during lunch. Padfoot and I had taken to Dungbombs that year and used them nearly every week, mostly on Snape if we were able to. In fact that photo was right before Padfoot had thrown one at him and Lily, something that she would blame me for the next three years.

It wasn't until when Padfoot laughed about it to Marlene that Lily found out the truth about that incident.

The photo was supposed to capture Moony and Wormtail posing in triumph for their passing grades—Mostly O's in Moony's case while Wormtail managed to get a few E's and A's. At that last second, however, a glimpse of something fiery caught my attention, which resulted in me pointing the camera in that general direction.

It was the first time I saw her let her hair down that year.

A gentle breeze was brushing its way through every strand, the sun making it shine like gold. As she spoke to Snape in a private conversation, I saw a smile on her that I'd never seen before. Her laughter was free and almost contagious as I found myself grinning along.

Without thinking, the shutter clicked and captured the moment forever.

That was the moment I thought I fell in love in Lily Evans.

What struck me though was that as I studied that picture I noticed that smile was not as rare as it used to be.

In fact, she smiled at me like that nearly every day this year. Did that mean I wasn't much of a nuisance as I thought myself to be? Perhaps maybe…

"Good evening, my dear Prongsie! We missed you at dinner!" The door swung open and revealed an energetic Padfoot with a less amused Moony behind him. My first reaction was to stuff the photo in the crack between my bed and the wall.

"James, you have your rounds you need to do. Lily wanted me to remind you." was all Moony said before moving into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it.

"What happened with him?" I asked to which Padfoot stiffened a bit, his brow folding down in worry.

"Well…I told a white lie about the origins of our nicknames to Katherine. She thinks they're about our Patronuses. Well, her Patronus is a unicorn and I call her Sparkles for it and…"

"Padfoot, unless Moony has an intense hatred for unicorns, get to the point." I ruffled my hair as I sat up in bed, hoping neither one of them noticed the photo peeking out of the crack.

"Katherine made a joke at dinner about Moony being a wolf and he assumed she meant about him being a werewolf—which she doesn't know. So, he kind of got flustered and the mood got really solemn. When I interjected by saying it was about his Patronus, he got even more upset because I didn't tell any of you beforehand that I told her that small lie. Now he's paranoid that Katherine is going to be suspicious like Snape was and will start snooping around. But she won't, she'll just leave it be because she knows it's some type of sensitive topic and…"

"You could have told us so this wouldn't have happened. What else was he supposed to think?" I pointed towards the bathroom door while Padfoot got increasingly aggravated.

"Yes, I know I fucked up! I completely fucked up! Do you hear me, Remus," He walked up the bathroom door and pounded on it "I fucked up! And where the fuck were you, Prong? Evans was actually worried, you know." He grinned at my face, which must have been shocked.

"I…I didn't feel well. Stomach issues." I rubbed my stomach to sell the lie while Padfoot only rolled his eyes.

"Didn't know you needed a whole hour to take a shit. Speaking of which, some people need to use this bathroom, mate!" He swung his fist against the door.

In the midst of Padfoot's pounding, Moony unexpectedly threw the door open which resulted in Padfoot falling against one of our desks. Both of them were glaring daggers at this point.

"Just saying that you fucked up doesn't change a thing! It didn't change the fact that Snape knows I'm a werewolf, did it? And whose fault…" Moony's nostrils flared even more when Padfoot interrupted him.

"Snape already knew before I gave him that tip! And I can't keep apologizing for that either! I know that was a terrible situation I put all of us in…"

"It was too your fault, you prat! If you had kept your bloody mouth shut then no one would have taken Snape seriously! And now you couldn't have told me about the bloody Patronus thing? I almost outed myself to Katherine tonight…"

"No you didn't! She doesn't suspect…"

"LET ME FINISH MY FUCKING SENTENCE!" And that was the cue for me to get the hell out of the room.

When Moony swore a lot and screamed at the top of his lungs that meant he was officially pissed off.

I could count the times on one hand that I had seen him truly furious.

And each experience was as equally terrifying as the rest.

Luckily, though, I was never the recipient of his nightmarish rage, so I was able to always tiptoe out of all the confrontations. Interestingly enough, the only person I've ever seen him get that angry with was Padfoot, though that was mainly because Padfoot never knew when to drop the subject.

He always had the tendency to be the problem child.

"Is it your goal to tell everyone that I'm a werewolf? So that they can train to be Animagi and prance around with us during full moons? Maybe for you a full moon means an adventure but it's not always the same case for me!"

"Well, if you want to go transform by yourself then by all means do so! And you can shove…" I would never know what Padfoot wanted to be shoved, but I could only assume he was referring to Moony's arse.

As I shut the door, I quietly casted a silencing charm so that no one near by would hear the muffled argument, because the last thing any one of us needed was for the other Gryffindors to hear Moony lose it.

Jotting down the stairs, I saw Lily quietly waiting for me in a chair near the portrait hole.

I paused for a moment as I took in the sight of her.

A straight tie, carefully tucked ankles and non-wrinkled robes told me that she took some time to compose herself as well. Her hair was in a neat plait, the previously wild bangs now pinned back. The hem of her skirt fell at her lower thighs with her hands folded together on top of them. With her back as straight as possible, she sat with a firm gaze.

And, of course, she was still just as stunning as ever.

A big breath heaved from my lungs as I forced myself to stuff all of those feelings down into my gut. And with a fake smile, I was able to march down those stairs like the big boy I was.

"Lily," My greeting caught her off guard "You, uh, ready to go?"

She opened her mouth to say something but then opted to a swift nod, moving from her seat to leave with me. When we left the Common Room, a Gryffindor a year below us waggled her fingers at me.

"Hi James." She said with a little giggle, which only brought me discomfort.

"Oh, hey." I admit that my greeting in return was half-hearted but all I could think of was Lily's accusations of me wooing millions of girls.

I don't even know how she got that notion because it wasn't like I was talking to that many girls anyways.

I mean there was Celine who needed help with Potions homework yesterday and she brought her friend Marta along, but we only talked about radio shows and Quidditch and…

Oh, they didn't need help with homework, did they?

And I doubted that Helena Martin really needed a peer review of her essay either.

…

Wow, I really was a gullible twat.

Tension started to build the longer the silence went on and it was far worse than just a mere awkward silence. I had to think of a topic that could be sustainable but wasn't a filler topic, so nothing like the weather or our grades…

"Did you see what happened with Remus and Sirius at dinner tonight? They were having a row when I left. A pretty nasty one if I do say so myself." Chances were that the two of them would be screaming at each other until I came back to make them hug it out.

"Well, dinner for the most part was fine. Katherine teased Remus about being a wolf but I don't think she knows that he's a werewolf and well…oh." Her eyes widened at her slip of the tongue as my heart started to beat rapidly.

We paused on the Grand Staircase, staring at each other with unsure looks.

"A werewolf? I can't say I've heard that one before…" Lying through my teeth was the only way to get out of this one.

"Oh, uh yeah," A weak chuckle came out of her mouth "I guess Snape would go on and on about that so much that it rubbed off on me. How silly of me, really." Fake laughter was shared between us while we both knew we were lying.

But for now, we would pretend to be oblivious.

How long did she know that Moony was a werewolf? And why didn't she go to Dumbledore about it? Although I should have been frantic at that moment, something told me that it was okay to trust her.

Still brought on a lot of nerves for me though.

"So, um," Damn my spluttering self "Should I do the fifth floor or do you want to…"

"Maybe we should go together." Her suggestion made me pause in my tracks, her words sinking in a full minute later.

"But you said so yourself that it's easier if we take separate floors." Not that I wasn't happy for Lily's new idea but it still confused the ever living hell out of me.

"I know but…I think we should go together. I'm, erm, tired of running into couples." She fiddled with the end of her braid as she kicked her feet around which was so unlike her.

But, oh, was it adorable.

"You? Afraid of shaggers? I can see you blasting them away with a flick of the wand. But if you're insisting…"

"I'm not insisting on it. It was just a mere suggestion." She sniffed a bit and turned her head away but I caught onto that faint smile she always tried to hide.

Because I'm an idiot who doesn't think before he acts, I casually put my arm around her as we left the staircase for the fifth floor.

"Well then," I peered over my glasses at her "I'll be your trusty escort then." Two years ago, this would have guaranteed a slap from her but she simply laughed as she shrugged my arm off.

"Don't push your luck, Potter." She took a few strides ahead of me, our footsteps echoing against the floors.

But then she paused.

Throwing one playful look over her shoulder, she asked:

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

And, believe me, that one look was the fatal wound to my heart.

I had already thought I was at the lowest stage of my unrequited love, but life loved to constantly prove me wrong.

* * *

**Wow, this chapter was hard for me to write since it was a bit slow with a lot of internal reflection for the boys. Although it may seem slow, I assure you that it's necessary in order for things to build up :) Lily's perspective on the whole thing will be in the next chapter, I'm thinking. And perhaps the start of the Halloween party?! Please leave a review! I had such lovely reviews from last chapter and I swear they gave me such an adrenaline rush haha (I'm so weird, I am sorry for any patient reader who is reading this) Next chapter should be out in one week at the most since I'm writing everyday :) Thanks for reading! Lovelovelovelovelovelove- Bobby**


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